To Find Peace
by Ashlyn Braere
Summary: Kristin winds up needing Kyouya's protection, so she ends up working for him. Along the way, she befriends the rest of the old Host Club. Story really starts at Ch 4, prev ch's intro. Not KxM Maybe KxOC / MxOC.
1. Chapter 1

_You'd think winning the lottery would make you happier…._ _It just made it easier to get divorced._ Kristin sighed. She wasn't completely sure if a divorce was really the best thing, as a vow was meant to be kept, and wedding vows were forever, but things had been bad between her and her husband, Brandon, for years, now. They had changed from the people who had made those vows. Winning the lottery just made the decision easier for both of them. They both now had the means to live independent of each other. They didn't have to worry about the mockery their marriage of 6 years had become.

Kristin worried that she hadn't been a good wife. Brandon always complained about that. She thought that she agreed to a certain extent. Before winning, it was either lie, and pretend that she wanted everything that a good wife wanted with her husband, or be truthful, and live as just roommates, and not even close ones. She didn't want to hurt her husband, and she knew either choice would. Had. Does still. But she didn't want to live a lie. _Damn. I need to stop thinking about this. I need to get the rest of my stuff packed and out of here. I've got the trip starting in a week._

Since the divorce would be finalized in a few days, she made plans to visit Japan. It hurt to remember that her husband had been so enthusiastic about Japan. Brandon planned his major in college so he could either move there when he was finished, or at least be some sort of interpreter. It was one of the good things he got planted in her. She now wanted to see Japan. She'd just never tell him where she was going. She hoped to rarely have contact with him again, and he'd just never find out. That would lead to another accusation of "stealing" his dreams. _How could I steal Japan from him?_ She wondered about that. _I just don't get it. If he really wants to go see Japan, he doesn't need me with him. And I shouldn't have to feel guilty about wanting to go on my own. I really need to sort out what I SHOULD feel guilty about and shouldn't._ Kristin sighed. This was something to think about while taking in Japan's culture.

Her husband…. _Wait. I need to remember that in three days he's going to be my EX-husband._ Her ex-husband still loves her. He keeps calling, hoping that she'll change her mind, that she'll "go back to how she used to be". How could she do that? She didn't LIKE who she used to be. She couldn't be a hypocrite. She hated hypocrites. And for her to live like one? Disgusting. _How could he still love me? He loved who he thought I used to be. Not who I really am now. Why won't he just accept it? He was the one who told me that he wanted a divorce to begin with. Now, he's pretending that I started it? That I'm pushing him away?_ That was one of the things that she didn't like in him. He changed how things actually happened to how he wanted to think they happened.

Kristin sighed… again. She had stopped packing again because she was lost in thought. Thankfully, she didn't have a lot to pack as she didn't have a lot period. A divorce did that. It halved the amount owned. And the pets and kids. Thank goodness they didn't have kids, but he was taking their cat. She missed the cat, but she figured her soon-to-be ex would be better if he kept Squiggles. Besides, he named her. She looked around at the boxes. At least she didn't have to get a big storage unit. Since she moved out, she had been renting an apartment for the semester. _Finally, something good about being in college through all of this._ She wasn't sure if she was coming back to school after her vacation, but that was something that could be decided later. Right now, all she wanted to think about was getting this divorce finalized and behind her. Once she's had a chance to relax and think about who she really wanted to be, she'd decide on returning to college. But just in case, she did sign up for her final fall's classes. She only had one more year to go to get her bachelor's. _It really would be a shame to waste the five years of stress and pain it took me to get here._ She shook her head. _Something else to think about later._

…

The day of the divorce finalization found that everything went better than she had expected. Kristin half expected her now legally ex-husband to make a big stink and hold up the final proceedings in a last ditch effort to keep her. But, she was completely single now. On her own. It felt exhilarating. There was no difference in her situation from yesterday to today. Except for that final piece of paper saying that she was FREE! She no longer needed to pretend for anyone ever again. _Oops, no, I still have my mom and grandparents that I have to hide stuff from. Crap. Well, I don't see them all that often. So, I guess it won't be too hard. Grrr. I hate this. I don't like hiding stuff. But, if I just don't tell them, it's not lying and not being a hypocrite. Right? Hmm. Maybe. One more idea to think about._

Almost everything was packed. The only things out were what Kristin needed before she left. For her extended vacation. She grinned. _Only 3 more days. I can't wait!_

…

Kristin's friend, Holly, drove her to the airport the morning she was leaving for her vacation. She had stayed at Holly's last night so she could drop Kristin off. When Kristin showed up at the house, she walked into a surprise party. They laughed, played games, watched movies, and drank. Everyone had stayed late, well into the early hours of the morning. She was still tired, and maybe a little hung over. Holly tripped on the curb. _Maybe she is, too._ Kristin thought with a smile. It had been one hell of a send off.

After checking in at the counter, Kristin turned to Holly. "Thanks for everything," she said warmly.

"It really wasn't a problem. Last night was great." Holly replied with a grin.

Kristin knew what she meant. "You're just happy that you were able to hook up with that Lieutenant." She grinned back at Holly.

Holly said, "I don't know what you're talking about…" But her grin got even bigger.

Kristin laughed at her friend. After a moment, her smile went away. "I'm going to miss you. And I know, I know. It's not going to be long, but, hell, you and the others have kept me sane through this. I want you to know that I really do appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Don't start crying. You'll make me start." Holly replied, trying to keep a smile on her face. "Just go have fun, forget for a while, and come back with lots of pics and stories."

Kristin found a smile, "You're right. Well, I guess I'd better get going. I've still got to get through security."

Holly nodded. "Take care of yourself," she said.

The two women hugged and went their separate ways.

…

Kristin finally made it out of the airport in Tokyo. She couldn't wait to get to hotel and rest. She planned on spending several days in Tokyo just to recover from jetlag, and then she would move on to tour most of Japan, hitting the main sites. She was thankful that she had prepared as well as she did. She had the phone numbers for each hotel, the addresses, and the dates she should be there all loaded onto her new phone, and backed up on her laptop. She called up the hotel here in Tokyo and asked for a pick up.

It took a little while to get there, check in, and get to her hotel room. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed. It was only 2 in the afternoon there.

…

_Well, I'm back in Tokyo. Boy, am I glad I decided to come back here half way through._ Kristin was back in the same hotel from the first time she was in Tokyo. It was more of a break, a chance to be back in a more western style area, where she's more comfortable. Kristin just wasn't able to handle massive amounts of change at a time. She needed to know what to expect for each change, and if many happened at once, she got a little panicky. That is why she's back to the same hotel. The area was close enough to the cities she was more familiar with, and having walked around the month earlier, she was vaguely familiar with the differences here.

Kristin had a month's load of pictures saved on to her laptop. She had been sending the best back to her friends, but she now wanted to make a back up of all of her pictures, just in case. After doing so, she realized just how hungry she was. Kristin decided to go down to the hotel restaurant for an early dinner. After a good meal, she moved on to sit at the bar, which was comfortably quiet, doing some people watching. A couple of other women were just a little ways down from her; Kristin could hear them talking. _Aha. They're American, too._ She couldn't help but notice their accent while listening in. They looked like they could have been in Tokyo for business rather than a vacation. They were thinner and taller than Kristin was and were dressed up as if at some kind of business cocktail party. Kristin was dressed nice, but not to the extent they were. She had on a simple silk blouse, a pair of nice linen pants, and a pair of low heels. She felt a little uncomfortable at the comparison she was making between herself and these women. She didn't even know them. For all she knew they were meeting up with others to go somewhere, rather than simply relaxing at a hotel bar. She turned her attention back to the rest of the bar. No one likes to be stared at, and she didn't want to remind herself that she always came in second. Or third. Or just plain last. _Hmmm… I need to lay off the alcohol for a bit._

"Could I get a Sprite, please?" She asked the bartender. _Oops. That came out in English._ Just as she was trying to remember out how to ask in Japanese, the bartender smiled and walked away, only to return with a Sprite for her.

"You understand English?" She asked smiling. "Thank you very much."

"Yes, and you're welcome." He answered, also with a smile. "We're popular with foreign nationals, so English is a requirement for the job."

"Ah. That makes sense. So, do you like it? The job, I mean." She was a little curious about him, and the alcohol had made her more abrupt than she normally would be.

"It's good. I love bartending, meeting many people, and here I get to meet foreigners, too. I get to talk with them and they tell me about different parts of the world, places I'd never get to see. They also show me how Japan seems through their eyes." He looked down the bar and noticed someone trying to get his attention. "Please excuse me, miss," he said with an apologetic smile.

Kristin had followed his eyes and replied, "Sure, no problem." She looked around the bar again and the windows caught her attention. She wondered what the street might look like from them. She looked and found an empty table next to one and moved over to it.

She had been sitting there looking at the people passing by for a little while when the two American women she had spotted earlier came over. Kristin noticed the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to them. She recognized them and was a little surprised that they had come over to her. They seemed a little nervous.

"Hi. I'm sorry to intrude," one of them said, "but we couldn't help but notice you speak English." Both of them smiled.

Kristin smiled in return. "Yes, I'm American. My name's Rose." _Now, why did I just give them my middle name?_

"I'm Charlotte, and this is my friend Michelle." Charlotte had dark brown hair and Michelle had light brown hair. "This is a little forward. We're here for a business conference, and some of us are going to a karaoke bar down the street."

"Sounds like fun," Kristen said. Kristin wasn't sure why they suddenly telling her this, but she waited to hear them out.

Michelle then spoke up. "You see, it's just the two of us from our company, and most of the others are guys. So we were hoping that you'd be willing to go with us to help even out the numbers."

Kristin thought she understood. They were trying to be safe in a strange city, in a strange country. But she wanted to make sure.

"Plus it can't be that fun sitting watching the cars go by." That was Charlotte. Kristin was starting to think Charlotte was more abrupt than Michelle was.

Kristin spoke up, "So is some sort of blind date thing?"

Michelle quickly responded. "No! It just we thought 'safety in numbers'. We're American, too. The others are mostly from Japan. And you're staying in the same hotel as us…" she trailed off and seemed unsure.

Charlotte took over. "Most of us going are assistants. It's not anything else. I promise. And they mentioned that they had some friends who lived in the area who are going. So it's fine if you go. Do you want to, Rose?"

Kristin tried to think quickly. She didn't want to keep them waiting. "Well, the only thing is I'm not going to be able to stay late. I wouldn't want to leave you guys hanging."

"Oh, no problem. We're not staying out late, either. The conference starts back up early tomorrow." Charlotte replied.

Kristin made up her mind. She stood up and smiled. "Okay, I'll go with you, if you don't mind the clothes."

Michelle looked at her with a smile and said, "No, you're fine. If anything, we're probably over dressed," as they made their way out.

As they were walking to the karaoke bar, Kristin found out more about them. And they found out some about herself. Apparently, they were personal assistants to the presidents of a couple of major hospitals in America. They were part of a group of hospitals based out of Japan. The conference was for the group. Kristin didn't quite catch the name of it, but she figured it didn't matter that much.

Kristin then told them a little about herself, that she was recently divorced and this was sort of a celebration vacation. She didn't mention that she had won the lottery. Kristin finally figured out why she gave her middle name. She was being a little paranoid. Or was it just safety conscious? She didn't flash any kind of money around. She dressed nice, but casual nice. She didn't try to stand out too much. She kept a can of mace that she had bought here in her purse. And apparently, she didn't give out her real name to strangers.

At the karaoke bar, she met the others. There was one other woman and four men, but someone mentioned that another person might join them a little later. Everyone already there were Japanese. Kristin could understand another reason for Charlotte and Michelle to want her to go. Not just to have another woman there, but another American, someone from their own culture. All in all, she had fun with them, even if she didn't understand the technical discussions. It reminded her of her department in college. The evening came to a close around 11:00 pm when someone noticed the time. Kristin was startled as she hadn't noticed it was that late.

The last out were Charlotte, Michelle, and herself. Charlotte and Michelle were talking about the night. Kristin kept pretty quiet. After they had crossed a street, Kristin's heel found a crack and rolled her ankle. Unfortunately, the other women didn't notice and kept walking. Kristin had to stop to give her ankle a break. Suddenly, she felt uneasy. She didn't like this situation; the women had somehow managed to get pretty far ahead of her. She called out to them, but they didn't seem to hear her. They disappeared into the crowd.

Kristin was upset, but figured the best thing was to get to the hotel as quickly as possible. She took her shoes off; there was no way she could walk in even low heels after twisting her ankle. She thought about which would be better, to find a cab or to try to walk the last four blocks to the hotel. If she walked, or even stayed where she was for much longer, she'd be noticed as easy prey. Not to mention, it was pretty late. While there were a good number of people around, they were much more intent on their good times than paying attention to those around them, which Kristin thought was stupid.

Kristin had just decided that it would probably be best to try for a cab, when a car suddenly stopped beside her. She looked at, surprised, but didn't think too much about it as it was an intersection. She just pulled her eyes away to look down the street when two men got out of car on the side facing her, one each from the front and back passenger side. They quickly came up to her and said something to her in rapid Japanese. She didn't understand that much Japanese and they were going too fast for her to follow. They grabbed both her elbows and started steering her to the car.

"Wait! Stop! Let go of me!" Kristin cried. She was in shock; it was all happening way too fast. They didn't answer her and had gotten her in the car despite her best efforts to resist. But with her injured ankle, she couldn't dig her heels in, and they were practically carrying her anyway. As she was being pushed into the back, she ripped her arms free and was hitting the one now behind her as best she could. By this time, she was yelling for all she was worth, but apparently it wasn't worth much. No one came to help. The doors were shut, and she could barely hear the street outside.

The man in the front passenger seat said something else to her, but she couldn't understand that one, either. She was still yelling and swinging her arms at the one next to her as the car took off. She tried to get to the other door, tried to get it open, but found it wouldn't. The man next to her was trying to restrain her, only being partially successful. If the door hadn't been locked, she might have been able to get away.

Again, the one in the front said something. This time, the man beside her pushed her down to the seat with his body. He managed to pin her arms this time. He pulled out a cloth and pressed it to her face. Kristin still had no idea what was going on. She couldn't think clearly; all she could do was scream. Evidently, this was to the man on top of her's advantage. She soon lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: sorry about the short chapter. It was getting too long, so I had to break it up.

* * *

The first thing Kristin was aware of was a splitting headache. She tried to move her hands to cradle her head, but they felt too heavy. She winced from the effort. That's when she heard a voice talking. She couldn't understand what he was saying, though. She squinted her eyes open, unsure what was going on. That's when she remembered what had happened. Fear shot through her, overwhelming her headache.

Kristin shot up, eyes wide, heart in overdrive. She looked around the room, trying to take in everything at once. A quick scan showed two men standing by a door across the room. The two men were dressed the same, in dark suits. They were both watching her. She noticed she was on a couch. One of them opened his mouth, speaking to her, but she _still_ couldn't understand what they were talking about. She caught something about "this" or "that", and some kind of question.

Kristin shouted at them, "What do you want with me? What did I do?" Kristin was close to full panic. She tried to stay as calm as possible, which wasn't much. She knew if she descended too far, then she wouldn't be able to act as needed. She also didn't need an asthma attack either. Who knew if they'd help her.

The same man she saw speaking before said something again. Kristin shook her head at him. She still couldn't understand.

Kristin took a shuttering breath and said, "Look, I have no idea what you're saying. I don't speak Japanese very well. Do you understand?"

The men frowned and looked at each other. _Uh, oh. That doesn't look good,_ Kristin thought. One that hadn't said anything took a step towards her. Kristin didn't want them anywhere near her. She jumped up and somehow managed to scramble over the back of the couch and pushed it a little closer to him, thus giving her some more room. He stopped.

Kristin stated, very clearly, in both English and Japanese, "No!" And then added in English, pointing, "Just stay over there." _Like I can actually make them do anything. Well, it's worth a shot._

At this, both the men's eye brows nudged upwards. The vocal one said something to the closer one which made him step back. The vocal one said something else after a pause. The silent man nodded his head, and he went into a sentry-like pose. Then the vocal man stepped out of the room.

Kristin didn't understand what was going on. They had taken her to a decent room and left her clothes on. They had _not_ taken her to an alley, or some other nasty place, and raped her or worse. Or so she thought. She tried to take in how her body felt. Did she feel violated? She didn't think so. So why did they take her? Was it for some kind of ransom? How did they find out she had money? And why ransom? No one else in her family had money, and she had sole access to her accounts. What else could they want from her? A thought suddenly had her blood run cold. Could it be for some kind of slavery? But would they have left her to wake up on her own, and in a decent place? She had so many questions, and only one way to answer them.

"Do you understand English?" Kristin asked. She was still eyeing the man left in the room. He didn't say anything. "Do you realize I don't understand Japanese?" _Well, that's close enough to the truth. Let's just keep it simple._ She waited for the man to say something, but he never did.

A couple of minutes later she heard a knock on the door, and it was immediately opened. Two more men came into the room. She guessed one of them was the same one as before. He looked the same. But the other one was taller by a bit and had on a grey suit. The vocal man, as she had come to label him, said something to the silent one. An irrelevant thought ran through her head. _Were they twins?_ She berated herself. She needed to focus on what was happening. The silent one shook his head. Kristin thought it was probably along the lines of, "did she try anything?" She wasn't stupid. There was no way she could have escaped with that guy standing there. On the heels of that thought, she noticed something strange about the room. There were no windows. That made her more nervous. What would they want with a room with no windows? What purpose would it serve? What…

"Miss, please have a seat. I'd like to have a word with you." That brought her whirling thoughts to a stop. It was the man in the grey suit. And he was talking in English.

Kristin didn't move. "What do you want with me?"

Mr. Grey Suit said something and the vocal man stepped out, only to return quickly with a chair. Mr. Grey Suit sat in it. He stared for a few seconds at Kristin, then gestured to the couch and repeated his request. "Please, sit down. You're making my men nervous."

That was laughable in Kristin's eyes. _She_ was the one who was kidnapped. "Not until I know what's going on." She felt safer behind the couch and standing, and she wasn't moving until she got some answers. At least, she wasn't moving on her own. Sometimes her stubborn streak was a mile wide.

Mr. Grey Suit's lips thinned a little. But instead of insisting again, he said, "I am sure you have some idea of why you are here. I'm sure they told everyone to stay together. But you didn't." He said this one with a small smile.

Kristin was lost. _What was he talking about?_ "Umm… what are you talking about? I'm not with anyone." Maybe they had the wrong person?

Mr. Grey Suit face dropped any kind of humor. "Don't play dumb. It's distasteful." He stopped and looked at her.

_Is he waiting for me to answer? What the hell can I say?_

He continued. "Neither of us is stupid. I happen to know a few things about you, for instance. Like that you went out this evening. With colleagues. It's those colleagues I wish to talk with you about."

Kristin thought he was talking about the people from the conference, but she needed to make sure. Ambiguousness could be deadly. "Are you talking about the people from the hospital conference? I just met them tonight."

At this statement from her his jaw clenched for a moment and his eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately, Miss, you don't lie very well. However, I do see that you intend to be stubborn about this. Instead of arguing with you, I'll give you something to ensure your cooperation."

At this, he stood up and gestured to the other men. The vocal man opened the door and let three more men in. Kristin was terrified. _What are they going to do to?_ She started shaking her head and backed up against the wall only a foot away. "No." Like she could stop them. Her whole body started shaking. The men split up, two coming at her from each side of the couch. "_NO_!" She screamed. She tried jumping over the couch, but they caught her easily. She tried hitting and kicking, in spite of her ankle. They held on tight. The last man had come up to her with a needle. She hadn't stopped screaming, and one of the men put his hand over her mouth. She bit it, but it didn't do any good. The needle was in her arm and whatever was in it, was now in her blood.

It took effect quickly. The men slowly released her. She was able to stand for a few seconds, but she was dizzy and shaky; she couldn't coordinate her muscles enough to try to run. Then, she collapsed on the floor. A couple of men picked her up and put her back on the couch. She could feel them moving her.

Mr. Grey Suit came over and softly told her, "I told you not to play dumb. Now, you'll still do everything I'll tell you, but you'll get nothing out of it." Kristin still had her eyes open and could see the self-satisfied smirk on his face. But coupled with the gleam in his eyes, he looked insane.

Mr. Grey Suit turned to the men and spoke in Japanese with them for a bit. Mr. Voice finally nodded his head and Mr. Grey Suit left. Kristin felt herself being picked up again. She was taken to another room, this one with a bed. She was placed on it. She felt another needle in her arm and since she wasn't able to fight back this time, she felt the whole painful experience of the needle, and drug, entering her. Tears started leaking from her eyes. She had no idea what was in this one. Were they going to rape her this time? She felt the bed shift. She closed her eyes, tears coming more freely, but she couldn't move.

Then, she felt covers being pulled over her and the bed shifting again. She opened her eyes at that. There was only one man left in the room and he was moving to a chair by the door. He sat and played with his cell phone for a bit. Kristin could feel herself getting sleepy. She could hardly keep her eyes open. The last thing she saw was the man watching her.

…

Kristin woke up the next morning with Mother Nature screaming at her. She looked towards the door, looking for, and finding, the guard from last night. He stood up when he noticed her movement and pointed to another door in the room. Hoping that meant there was a bathroom on the other side, she was able to get up, albeit with some shakiness, and walked over to it. She hoped the drug was gone from her system. To her body's gratitude, it _was_ a bathroom, complete with shower. She felt grubby, but didn't dare think about a shower. First, she wasn't free, and second, she didn't have clean clothes.

When she came out, there was another man in the room and a tray with food on it. The guard from last night simply pointed to the tray. She supposed that meant she was supposed to eat. After eating, last night's guard picked up the tray and left with it, leaving the new man with her. While she was walking around, she noticed her ankle was better. She hadn't sprained it. That was good. Depending on what happened, she had a better chance at escape.

She didn't have to wait long to find out what was going to happen next. Mr. Grey Suit, who was now wearing a black pinstripe suit, came in and sat in the chair the guard had stayed in last night.

"Now, Miss, I hope you realize the futility of trying to fight with me. The cocktail party for the conference is tonight and you will be accompanying me. You'll be contacted by one of Ootori-san's assistants, who will give you some information to memorize. That information, you will, in turn, supply to me. Do you understand?"

_What kind of bad spy plot is this?_ Kristin thought she'd try one more time to make him understand. "Look, I'm not with this conference you're talking about. I'm only on vacation here. Let me go." She mentally crossed her fingers that she had finally gotten through to him.

Mr. Suit looked enraged at this. Kristin hoped that she hadn't pushed him too far. He really didn't seem all that stable. He had already used who knows what drugs on her. He closed his eyes for a moment and his expression once again turned impassive, even though the red from his anger remained.

"Enough. You _will_ comply." He responded roughly. "You will rest until you need to get ready."

With that alarming statement, one of the men surprised Kristin and held her down again on the bed, and once again, Kristin was injected with something. She immediately felt dizzy and closed her eyes against it. She could hear someone talking and the door opening and closing. It seemed to be the same drug as the first one used on her. She was conscious, but she couldn't move.


	3. Chapter 3

Kristin was bored. All she could do was lay there, and her only true company was her own thoughts. She had occasionally gotten shots that would allow her to move around for a short time – mainly, go to the bathroom and eat lunch. During the day, Kristin had thought long and hard about the situation. Mr. Suit seemed to be in charge. If so, why was he behaving like a bad spy villain? Wouldn't such a person have to be composed and flexible? Obviously, something wasn't adding up, so Kristin had thought about him a lot.

Taking the supposition that Mr. Suit was normally such a man as one would expect for someone in charge, then what could turn him into the ruthless and unhinged man that she's seen? Something must have gone wrong. He was quite inflexible when she tried to explain. It was like he didn't want to face any kind of mistake, that he needed her to be what he had planned for. And the conference party was tonight. Could he have run out of time? If so, then she would probably have to do, no matter what. Kristin wondered if he had had to change plans because of her.

Kristin started thinking about what he had told her to do. She was going to receive some information from some assistant. If she _had_ been part of the conference, then he could probably place all the blame on her and get away with what he wanted. _I wonder what he'll do when he finds out I'm not who he thinks I am. Will he let me go? Or will he kill me, or something else horrible?_ Kristin thought about whether to play along or fight. The only problem with making a decision was in not knowing the consequences for either one.

While Kristin was still deliberating in her head, Mr. Suit entered with a couple of men and a woman, who were carrying several different bags. Mr. Suit nodded to one of the men, and that one neared Kristin with another needle. Kristin thought, _What? Another one? I'm not going to have an arm when this is all said and done…._

As this one went to work on her system, Mr. Suit started talking. "It's time for you to get ready. The woman will assist you as needed. We leave in two hours." He then turned to the woman and said something to her.

When Mr. Suit left, the bags got deposited on the bed. The woman emptied the bags of their contents on to the bed. Kristin saw a gown, shoes, some undergarments that she wasn't sure would fit, jewelry, makeup, and hair accessories and implements.

Kristin was impressed. _Everything a woman needs to get ready._ However, Kristin wasn't so sure about the men still in the room. _Do they expect me to strip with them watching? And I definitely need a shower._ She decided to see if the woman spoke English; maybe she could help Kristin out of the situation. "Umm, hi. Do you speak English?"

The woman looked at her sharply and responded with something in Japanese. Kristin sighed, and her shoulders slumped. _I guess it was too much to hope for. Hell, that man _(meaning Mr. Suit) _probably made sure the only ones around me didn't speak English. It's a great way to control me._

Kristin looked at the clothes. Even if she was a prisoner, if she was going to be seen in public, she wanted a shower. She was grubby, and she now had clean clothes and another woman in the room. She felt a little better about taking a shower. Besides, he said she had two hours. She grabbed the gown and underclothes, tapped the woman on the shoulder, and pointed to the bathroom. The woman nodded and followed Kristin into the bathroom.

Kristin found a toothbrush and toothpaste and made quick work of her teeth. She got the woman to guard the door while she climbed into the shower. After everything that Kristin had been put through for the past many hours, the shower felt great, but she didn't linger. With a towel wrapped around her, Kristin inspected the clothes. She could get away with the panties, but she'd have to wear her own bra. She was bigger than many supposed at a glance.

Once those were on, she got a good look at the gown. It was dark green, shimmery, and had long sleeves. Kristin supposed that last was to cover the needle marks she had covering her arm. Washing had been interesting since she had limited movement in that arm. She then got the other woman to help her with the gown. It was more than a bit tight in certain areas, she had _curves_ damn it, and it made her feel uncomfortable. Kristin wasn't sure if the fit would pass muster at a posh party. She tried asking her helper her opinion through pantomime; the woman just shrugged her shoulders. Either the woman didn't have an opinion, or she couldn't understand. Kristin tried to imagine what Mr. Suit would think if the people at this party looked at her with disdain because of the clothes _he_ picked. Kristin snickered in her head. He could just deal with it. He brought this all on himself.

The next step was hair. The woman was a fiend with a brush and a hairdryer. Almost half an hour, and much torture, later, the woman deemed Kristin's hair was done. She then turned Kristin around to apply her makeup. It seemed that the woman wasn't going to take any chances on Kristin doing her own hair and makeup. Kristin didn't mind. Doing your own was a pain, and damn if she was going to go out of her way for her kidnapper. But at least she was clean. No matter what else happened, she at least had that.

With the jewelry on, she was done early. She sat on the bed and looked closer at the shoes. They were her shoes from last night. She was glad that she hadn't lost them. Even though she could replace them, she didn't want to imagine what the night would have been like if she'd had to wear a pair she hadn't broken in.

Kristin sat, thinking about what she was doing. She hadn't put up a fight about getting ready for this party. She thought her best option would be to get someone's attention at the party. Tell them what was going on, and get help. She thought that this was corporate espionage, and reasonably, they wouldn't like that. If she needed to get to that party, then she needed to cooperate until then.

Her helper left after packing up the leftovers. A few minutes later, Mr. Suit entered. She wasn't an expert on fashion, but to her, it looked like he wore a tux. He eyed her dress and nodded. There was no expression on his face. Time to start cooperating.

Before Mr. Suit could say something, Kristin asked, "What am I supposed to call you? I can't just say 'Hey, Mister.'" From previous experience with the man, Kristin knew that she was being bold again, but if she wasn't, he might get suspicious. "I just want this over and done with so I can go home."

Mr. Suit looked affronted for a brief moment, but recovered quickly. "I see. You can address me as Sato." He then looked at one of his guards and gestured to her. The man quickly stepped up and held out a pill and a glass of water.

She hadn't seen the glass before now. _Where had he hidden it? Or was I just that focused on Mr. Suit – err, Sato-san? And what, no more needles?_ Kristin thought that last one with sarcasm. She didn't dare let these thoughts show on her face, though. But she didn't want to take anything else. It'd most likely greatly reduce her chances at the party.

Sato-san noticed her eying the pill. "Come now. You didn't think I wouldn't ensure your cooperation, now did you? Take the pill."

Kristin was getting very nervous, but she still needed to get to the party. She tried stalling a little. "What does it do? And don't you need something to call me?"

Sato-san just said, "The pill. Now." Kristin swallowed the pill. "Good. Your name will be Ruth. A good American name, don't you think?" That was said with a noticeable amount of smugness.

Kristin didn't care what he thought; it just seemed to be another example of his need for absolute control. He didn't seem to care what she thought, either, despite the question, as he turned heel and motioned for her to follow. The guards were quick to come behind her.

She followed Sato-san to his car. He waived his hand at the back seat and she got in. He sat next to her and another man got in the driver's seat. The ride to the party was mostly silent. Shortly before they arrived, Sato-san reviewed what was expected of her.

"Your name is Ruth. Mine is Sato. Shortly after we arrive, Ootori-san's assistant will come up and ask you about the drought in America. You will agree it's bad and then say that it could affect the health of people. He will then take you to another room where you will receive the information. After, you will come find me and we will leave. On the way back, you will tell me this information. Once this is done, you will be released. Only after you have told me will you forget this ever happened."

Kristin just nodded her head. It seemed right, but… it didn't? Sato-san seemed to notice her vague confusion. He told her to repeat what he told her. When she did, she didn't have any doubts. She didn't remember having doubts. She didn't remember having any other thoughts about the party.

…

The evening was going as Sato-san said it would. The assistant got her, took her to another room on the same floor, and gave her the information. When she returned, she looked around the room for Sato-san. She spotted him on the opposite side of the room from her.

She started to make her way to him when she was stopped by two women. They called her Rose. They wanted to know how she got here. She didn't understand what they wanted. Rose wasn't her name. She needed to get to Sato-san. They grabbed her arms. Why were they asking her about last night? It didn't matter. She needed to get to Sato-san. She pulled her arms free and stepped back, knocking into another man. He wasn't Sato-san. Why were the two women looking scared? Why did the man look angry? She shook her head slightly. It didn't matter. They didn't matter. The man didn't matter. Only Sato-san mattered. She turned to walk away. Her arm was grabbed again and she was turned to face the man. She was confused. Why were they keeping her from Sato-san? Who was he? Why were the women talking about a missing person? Why were there more people looking at her? Where was Sato-san? She looked around for him. There he was, walking toward the doors. She called out to him. Some people looked where she was looking and quickly stopped him.

The man she bumped into said something and her arm was taken by another man to yet another room. There she was made to sit down in a chair. There were two men standing at the door. She waited for a while. Another man stepped into the room. He asked her questions about why she was there.

She was confused. Why was she there? Oh, yeah, the assistant. "There was an assistant I needed to talk to."

He next asked, "What was the assistant's name?"

She didn't know his name. "I don't know." She was starting to feel a little sick.

He asked, "What did you need to talk to the assistant about?"

She didn't remember. She shook her head. "I don't remember." She was really feeling sick. What was she doing here? "What's going on?" She felt dizzy and nauseous. Who was this man? "Who are you?" She looked around. "Where am I?"

…

The man was very concerned. She had started out sitting quietly, her hands resting in lap normally, and her face clear. Now, she was shifting in her seat, one arm was wrapped around her waist, her other hand was pressed against her forehead, and she looked pained and confused. He left to talk to his boss. He needed to see her before anything more happened.

…

Kristin was really feeling sick. She felt like she was about to throw up. She looked around and spied a trash can sitting next to her. She got it just in time to use it. She started tearing up. On top of everything that had happened, now she was sick. Her body hurt so badly. Even after throwing up, she still kept feeling worse. She fell out of the chair, but she didn't want to move. At least on the ground, there was nowhere for her to fall to. She just curled up in a ball and softly cried. She never noticed the other two men in the room.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She peered up at yet another stranger; this one had glasses. He looked annoyed.

Kristin slowly sat up, still clutching her stomach. She wondered if he was friend or foe. She had a vague memory of lots of people in fancy dress. Then a single person, but his face was blurry. Then a smaller number of people, one of whom had glasses, too. Was it this man? Did she make it to the party?

She croaked out a question. "Please, do _you_ speak English?"

He was standing with his arms crossed. He was simply looking at her. She wasn't sure if he expected her to stand up, which seemed like a bad idea with how bad she was feeling. Between her stomach and her head, she'd probably make an even bigger embarrassment out of herself. She leaned her head against the chair instead. But she was able to think more clearly as time passed.

"Yes," he said mildly.

Kristin jumped a little, surprised he had answered after the wait. She had started to think he wouldn't. She started to get her hopes up. Maybe she had finally found help. "Who are you? Where am I?" _Start simple,_ she thought.

"Ootori Kyouya. And who are you?" He ignored the second question.

_Oh, god. It's the top guy, himself, right?_ she thought. She wasn't sure if that was good thing. She decided to tell everything, hoping for the best. "I'm Kristin Kennedy. I'm an American vacationing here. Last night I was kidnapped. _Please_, can you help me?" By the end of the short explanation, she was crying again. She felt so sick. She just wanted this to end, to go back to anonymity and safety.

Ootori-san's eyebrows shifted upward very slightly. He asked her, "How did you end up here if you were kidnapped?"

_Oh, god. He doesn't believe me._ Kristin just kept crying. "I was told I had to help someone get information. He kept me drugged." She took a shuddering breath, trying to make it through this. She had to get him to help her. "I remember getting ready for tonight, but after getting in the car, I don't remember too much else until being sick in here." She was starting to feel nauseous again. She pulled the trash can closer to herself, just in case. One of his eyebrows flinched upward ever so slightly at her action. She didn't care what he thought, though. She didn't want to mess up the carpet.

…

Ootori Kyouya could hardly believe what this woman was telling him. Sure, corporate espionage happened, but to this extent? Where she had been dragged into this against her will? Kidnapped and drugged? It seemed like it should have been pure fiction. And yet, the contents of the trash can helped give evidence to it. He was surprised that she had been that sick.

If she really was sick. He didn't get to be head of the Ootori Corporation by being stupid. He'd have the contents of the trash can analyzed as well as the woman. And her companion interrogated. Kyouya was pretty sure he was guilty. He just needed to figure out of what. He also needed to find out who this "assistant" was. Kyouya did not tolerate spies.

First, he needed send Ms. Kennedy to the hospital, under guard, for testing. His private security forces were already investigating the people here tonight. His security forces were vetted by very trustworthy sources. He didn't have to worry about them. Next, he needed to get some legal help on this matter, someone he could trust explicitly. If one of his people were involved in this, he didn't want to trust his own legal department. It was best to bring in outside help. He knew who one of his first calls would be to.

…

Kristin wasn't sure if she'd get any help from him. She knew she needed to get to a hospital and get herself fixed. _Hell, he owned hospitals. He should…_ she wasn't sure what he should, though. Her stomach clenched again. She bent over the trash can again, adding more to its contents. She wasn't sure if she could get any more pathetic, but she couldn't care less right now. She just wanted to feel better, to get this whole thing behind her.

She didn't care if she had to beg. "Please, I really need to go to a hospital. I'm really sick."

"Of course, Ms. Kennedy. Your health is important," He replied. He then called someone on his cell phone. Once again, she couldn't understand what was being said. He hung up and turned his attention back to her. "Ms. Kennedy, I have a car ready to drive you to my hospital. It would be more secure than an ambulance." What seemed to be implied was that she wasn't sick enough to warrant one. "I'll escort you down. One of my men will be with you for your security. You won't have that to worry about. He will be available if you have questions."

Kristin slowly got up. She wasn't sure about having another guard, but she wasn't able to think about it too well at the moment. She looked down at the trash can. "Would you mind if I took this? I'll pay for a replacement," she offered. She really didn't want to think about not having it in the car.

Apparently, neither did he. "Please, keep it," was all he said about it.

He escorted her to his car waiting in the underground garage. During the trip down, he made a couple of phone calls. As she moved to get in the car, he stopped her and said, "Ms. Kennedy, please do not leave the hospital. Someone will contact you regarding this when you are well enough. There is a lot to discuss about this incident." With that, he returned to the elevator and left.

Kristin stared for a moment, almost shocked at his abruptness. The guard waiting for her to enter the car cleared his throat, catching her attention. She glanced at him; then sat in the car. He walked around to the other side and entered the back with her. The driver pulled the car out of the garage, taking her to the hospital. _Hopefully, things are starting to turn around._


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN**__: I have tried to represent the differing relationships between people using both the Western and Japanese honorifics._

_Even though Tachibana is now the head of Kyouya's private security force, he still respects Kyouya a great deal and thus uses 'sama'; however, he also has a long history with Kyouya and thus calls him by his given name (plus, he did so when he was Kyouya's bodyguard)._

_Kristin's hospital guard, however, works as a lower ranking underling to Kyouya and is not close to him at all and thus uses his surname and 'sama'. Even though he speaks English, he is unused to Western honorifics and uses 'san' when talking to Kristin._

_Kyouya spent years in the U.S. in college and is comfortable with the Western honorifics and thus calls Kristin 'Ms'. And the relationships between the old Host Club members have become a lot more complex. They are personally, socially, and business-wise very close, and thus they have stopped using 'senpai' for each other._

_Kristin doesn't work for Kyouya, plus her American attitude would have a problem with calling someone 'sama', and thus she uses 'san'. Kristin is used to the Japanese honorifics when speaking to the Japanese because she has for the last month ("when in Rome…")._

_This will be similar for any future relationships that come up, plus showing any changes in relationships. I hope this helps the readers._

_P.S. – sorry about the long chapter. Please let me know what you guys think so far._

…

Ootori Kyouya had called Tachibana, first to set up transportation and guard for Ms. Kennedy, then to see if he had started pulling her information. The man had retired from body guard duty years ago, but he still excelled at information retrieval. Tachibana had worked his way to head of his private security force. He was the one who had initially been questioning Ms. Kennedy. Tachibana said that he should have some basic information about Ms. Kennedy available when Kyouya got to his office.

The next call had been to Morinozuka Takashi. He and Haninozuka Mitsukuni were the ones who vetted his security force. Mori and Hani were also partners in Hani's companies, with Mori heading the legal departments. Even so, Mori sometimes lent his legal expertise those close to him so long as there wasn't a conflict of interest. Kyouya needed his services now and left a message for him saying the matter was urgent.

While Kyouya was waiting for Mori to call back, he went to Tachibana's office, finding him still on his computer. Kyouya sat in front of Tachibana's desk, waiting. For something this important, Tachibana knew he'd let formalities slide. Even though he was still looking at his computer, Tachibana began telling Kyouya what he'd found so far.

"She appears to be who she says she is, Kyouya-sama. She recently won a lottery in America, was more recently divorced, and has no children. She is currently in college. I have her address history, and I'm looking for more information. I'll have a more thorough report ready for you tomorrow morning."

Kyouya rose from his chair. "Good. Until tomorrow, Tachibana." He felt a little more confident in believing she wasn't a willing participant in the events.

As Kyouya was returning to his own office, his cell phone rang.

…

Kristin sat huddled in back seat of the car. She was glad to finally be going to the hospital. Maybe from there, she could contact the police. She thought about who else she should probably contact. _The American Consulate, maybe?_ She also needed to contact her health insurance, to see if they'd cover the medical bills. She sat up at a sudden thought. Her money! What about her wallet? And her passport? She could be stranded here with her accounts drained! The guard jerked in response to her jump.

She turned to him and asked, "What about my wallet and passport? I need to cancel my bank accounts!" She felt queasy again, thinking about it.

The guard pulled out his cell phone, speaking quickly into it. After a short conversation, he hung up and turned back to her. "Ootori-sama said that he will have a phone available for you tomorrow. For now, he said, it's more important for you to get checked into the hospital." He looked out the window. "We're nearly there."

Kristin also looked out the window and saw a familiarly styled building. She guessed that hospitals look the same no matter where they were. The car pulled up to an entrance. Kristin felt a release of tension that she didn't know she had. She was coming out the other side of this. She'd get over this and move on with her life.

The guard brought her inside to a private office rather than a check-in desk. After telling her story to the doctor inside, she was brought to a private hospital room. She was made comfortable while her blood and tissue were taken for testing. An IV was put in the back of her hand. _I'm really getting sick of needles,_ she thought. She was given a thorough exam. She was told that there was no evidence of rape. Kristin was glad about that. She was also told that her ankle appeared fine but her arm, on the other hand, had some damage to it. However, given time and exercise, it would be back to normal. That was fine. If a little bit of physical therapy was all she needed, then Kristin would come out of this better than she had hoped. Now, all she had to do was to wait for the test results.

While she was being examined, the guard had taken the trash can outside with him. When he returned, he didn't have it with him anymore. Kristin thought he didn't want to deal with the smell anymore, not that she blamed him. At least she didn't she needed it anymore; she had been given a smaller plastic tub.

Almost an hour later, the doctor came back with the tests results. The doctor explained that she still had two drugs in her system. The first was a powerful, rare muscle relaxer. There was only a residue of that one left in her arm. The second was another rare drug that made her extremely susceptible to suggestion. The doctor told her it was the interaction of the drugs plus the stress of the events was what made her so nauseous. She said that the drugs could be counteracted, and after explaining the possible side effects, she gave Kristin the medicine. This eventually made her sleepy enough to let her sleep for the remainder of the night.

…

When she woke up the next morning, she felt considerably better. She hadn't felt any of the side effects the doctor had warned her of last night. She was given breakfast and the doctor came around after, letting her know she should be able to leave the next day. The doctor explained that she wanted a day to observe Kristin, to make sure there weren't any problems from the medicine she was given. Kristin accepted that reasoning, and to her peace of mind, the IV was removed. Kristin mulled over the treatment she had received so far. Everything had been sped through for her - her admittance, the results of her tests. The doctor was very attentive toward her. She wondered if it had to do with her small connection to the owner of the hospital. Well, there was one way to find out.

She found out last night, after much prodding, the guard's name was Ito Eiji. Kristin now turned to him. "You know, Ito-san, every other time I've been to a hospital, everything took a long time. I was wondering why things happened so fast this time?"

Ito-san smiled slightly. "Ootori-sama ordered the tests to be expedited."

Kristin could think of a couple different ways that could be meant. Either he was a _really_ generous and caring man, which was unlikely, or he wanted proof of her story and fast, which was more likely. She wondered if Ito-san would confirm one of them. She had figured out that Ito-san disliked giving out information, but if she didn't give up, she'd sometimes get more. "Why would he do that?"

Ito-san simply stood there for a few minutes. He seemed to be mulling over what to say. "You'd have to ask Ootori-sama anything more."

Kristin scowled a bit. She decided that meant her second conjecture was closer to the truth. _Well, Ootori-san certainly got enough proof from me last night. I wonder what else he'd need from me. Probably some kind of statement, probably to give witness._ Kristin thought about what had happened yesterday. She was starting to remember a little more from the party. She laid there reviewing everything. She wanted to actually be of some help, rather than just a victim that needed rescuing.

Almost an hour later, a suited woman came in with a stack of papers, jarring Kristin out of her thoughts. "Good morning, Kennedy-san. I am from the hospital's legal department. If you please, there are some forms that need to be completed. I'm sorry to put this on you when you are feeling unwell; however, the hospital needs them for legal purposes. If you could, would you please do so for us?" Kristin nodded her head, caught off guard a little. "Thank you very much, Kennedy-san. If you require any assistance, I'll be available to you. Either this gentleman," she gestured to Ito-san, "or one of the nurses will be able to contact me." Kristin nodded again. _How did she know who Ito-san was_, she wondered. The lady handed her the papers with a smile and left. Kristin thought the lady was very polite; she had met several like her while traveling around Japan.

Kristin looked down at the papers. She was surprised they were in English. She guessed they had enough English speaking patients to warrant it. As she looked them over, she realized she needed a phone and her laptop. She didn't know all the information they were asking for and she needed to contact her insurance. Plus, afterward she had to contact her bank to put a hold on her accounts and contact the American Consulate to see if they had any advice on what more she should do. She thought she remembered Ito-san telling her that she'd have access to a phone today. She called out to him to ask.

"Ito-san? I need some things. I need my laptop, a phone, and a couple of changes of clothes. My purse had my wallet and phone in it and who knows where that's gone to, and my laptop's in my hotel room. Do you know if there's any way for me to get them?" She figured it was understood her clothes would be in her room, too.

"Of course, Kennedy-san," Ito-san responded.

Kristin was a little taken back. _That was quick. He didn't need to think about it or consult with someone._ "Umm... Great." She gave him her hotel information and he gave her his phone after putting the number in. She told the concierge that she was in the hospital and that someone was going to pick up a few things from her room for her and to please let them in. The concierge expressed sympathy, agreed to let them in, and after a few more pleasantries, they hung up. After Ito-san started his end moving, she asked him about contacting the local police and the Consulate.

"I would rather you spoke with Ootori-sama before you contact them." Ito-san replied.

Kristin frowned again. "Excuse me?" _Did I hear him right?_ "Why would I need to talk with him before the police or Consulate?" Kristin thought it almost sounded shady. _Is Ootori-san trying to control me?_

Ito-san just said, "It would be better if you spoke with him first."

Maybe she was reading too much into it. Though she thought she might need to get a lawyer sooner rather than later, just to deal with _Ootori_-san. She decided she really needed to talk with him, though, at least so she could get more balls rolling.

"In that case, Ito-san, I need to speak with him. My matters are urgent and I don't appreciate being told I need his permission to execute them." Kristin was determined to control her own fate, and _only_ she would have that control. "I wonder, though. Is this a condition of your services? If so, then the only thing I need from you is a way for me to talk with him. I will do the rest." After everything she had been through, getting divorced, kidnapped and drugged, and being a forced accomplice to information stealing, she'd be damned if she lost the new life she'd been building due to someone else's inconsideration.

Ito-san looked surprised. Kristin thought it was because she hadn't been that forceful before. "My services are only dependent on Ootori-sama's orders. I will let him know you wish to speak to him."

"Thank you. Please remember, time is of the essence for me." Kristin stated, trying to be polite. She hoped she wasn't pushing too hard, but she was getting more concerned with the situation the more she thought about it. Now that she was physically fine, her thoughts turned to other matters. She didn't want to lose her newly gained money. She also didn't want to end up more or less kidnapped by Ootori-san, either.

Ito-san bowed. "I will convey your message." With that, he stepped out.

With nothing else to do, she bent over her papers and started filling out what she could.

…

Kyouya arrived at work that morning already fatigued. Kyouya didn't get to bed until late. Mori had called Kyouya back late the night before. After being advised of the situation, Mori let him know that he would definitely help Kyouya. Mori told him he would pull up the various sections in the legal code that applied and that he'd be in touch with Kyouya's security personnel in the morning. They had set up an appointment to discuss matters later that morning.

Kyouya had then asked after his family. The anniversary of Mori's wife's death had been just two weeks ago. He had come by to pay his respects, but he was still concerned. Mori said that he and his kids were holding up okay. He said that Tamaki and Haruhi had come by shortly after Kyouya had left and that Mitsukuni wouldn't leave for 3 days. Kyouya smiled at the image of Hani giving Mori's family his own version of care, with his wife, Reiko, in the background offering helpful 'curses'. Kyouya knew Hikaru and Kaoru had come by, offering their support, as well as Mori's parents and brother. Kyouya had shown up while they were still there. Kyouya regretted couldn't stay on the phone for long, though. He had more work to do. But he made a note to stop by again soon.

He had stayed late to deal with the numerous questions from his guests about what had happened. He had to make sure that all the press got were the 'no comments available at this time' type statements. That lasted until almost three thirty in the morning. He then had to wake up after only a few hours sleep to deal with the reports on 'Sato-san', Ms. Kennedy, and the mystery 'assistant' from Tachibana. He also had to review what the damage was so far.

Kyouya first read the report on 'Sato'. Evidently, 'Sato' was not the man's real name. He was Inoue Tatsuya. He worked for a long time competitor of the Ootori's as their in-house thief. This time, he had been tasked with retrieving unknown information from an inside informant. He didn't know what the information was. He was told to use a specific method, and he didn't question it. Kyouya thought something was off about that. The problem was Inoue was quite experienced. With that kind of knowledge, Inoue should have known there was a high probability of being caught. Why had he made such a mess of this job? Kyouya was not arrogant enough to think it was that his security was that good. There were too many errors made on Inoue's part to think so. Kyouya had ordered his blood and tissue taken for testing after hearing what Ms. Kennedy had to say last night. A trace of some drug was found, but the nature of it was still being analyzed.

Kyouya next turned to Ms. Kennedy's report. She was remarkably easy to retrieve information about. She was a veteran of the U.S. military. She was a working class person with enough intelligence to make it into a tough academic curriculum. Only family issues had put her behind for graduating. She came to Japan for a couple of months for vacation. There was not much more to her even with Tachibana's initial findings. The only thing that stood out was that she had given her middle name to the two assistants she had met two days ago. It was an odd thing to do and something that he would like to know about. In addition to her background, the lab data from the hospital confirmed part of her story. He made a note that he needed to discuss with Mori his legal obligations towards her. He wanted to make sure everything was covered to protect both his company and himself.

Kyouya then turned to the last report from Tachibana. Kyouya's security went through the building last night, and the possible spy was narrowed down from those still inside. They were still being investigated, and that might take a while. Unfortunately, a couple of his senior executives who had attended the gathering last night could not be exempt. Kyouya's personal assistant was also one of those being investigated. The man often worked late, so that by itself wasn't suspicious, but Kyouya was irritated because he now didn't have these people when there was a situation.

He forwarded to Tachibana the queries he wanted looked into. He was going to be much too busy for the next several days, at least, to do his own research. Tachibana was going to have more to do, too. When his time freed up some, he'd do his own investigating. His private knowledge sometimes led him down different paths that gave more information.

Kyouya was able to get some breakfast and much needed coffee before Mori's appointment. He had noted as he passed through that the employees who were in the clear were distracted by the events of last night. Combined with those missing, the office was getting less than half the work done. _Yet another irritation_, he thought.

He reviewed the news agencies and the industry specific reporting sites. This was something that his assistant would normally do for him. However, with his being under suspicion, Kyouya had to take the time to do so himself.

Soon Mori showed up, briefcase in hand. "Good morning, Kyouya."

"Good morning, Mori," Kyouya replied.

"How are you doing so far?" Mori asked.

"I am concerned." Kyouya answered. He got right to the point of the meeting. "Have you gotten a chance to review the situation?" he asked.

Mori nodded his head. "How do you see this?"

"Something is not right. I think there is more to the situation than has been found. There was too much incompetence." He handed the reports he had just read to Mori. "These are the initial reports. I'll make sure you receive a copy of them. I want to focus on Ms. Kennedy first. Her requirements should be the quickest to clear. However, I have yet to get a full interview with her. She should still be at the hospital. I had advised her that she shouldn't leave."

Mori gave a small sigh. He knew what Kyouya meant by 'advise'. "Kyouya, you shouldn't have threatened someone who was just released from captivity. It's insensitive."

Kyouya just pushed his glasses up. He knew that. Last night had surprised him quite a bit. He had needed to start getting control over the situation quickly, but in doing so he had clamped down on any compassion for the woman. He knew he had been more curt with her than called for. He couldn't take it back, however, just move on.

Kyouya continued on. "I realize that. For now, to what extent am I legally held liable regarding her?"

…

After an hour of discussing the various legal options, Kyouya received two calls. The first one was from the guard he had left with Ms. Kennedy. He said that she was quite insistent on speaking with him. Kyouya told him that he had to speak with her as well and that he'd be there in half an hour. The second informed him that Suou Tamaki was coming up. Kyouya could tell he'd be nursing a migraine by the end of the day. Mori gave him a sympathetic glance as Tamaki waltzed through the door.

"Haven't you learned to knock, yet?" Kyouya demanded of him with a glare.

Surprisingly, Tamaki was calmer than usual. "I heard on my way in that something had happened last night, and your secretary said that Mori was in here with you." Tamaki said this as if that made it alright. He dropped in the chair next to Mori.

"For your information, we were in the middle of a consultation." Mori nodded in agreement. Kyouya hoped Tamaki would for once get the hint and leave. He needed to get back to work and not deal with an idiot.

Tamaki leaned forward. "Kyouya, what happened?" He looked worried.

Of course, Tamaki _would_ figure out it was serious if Kyouya was consulting with Mori. He really wasn't an idiot and he did care about his friends. Kyouya eyed Tamaki. He looked sincere and had asked without any melodrama. It looked like he had finally grown out of his high school theatrics. Kyouya sighed. Still, Tamaki probably wouldn't let him be until he knew. Kyouya gave a summary of what had happened.

Tamaki exploded. "What? That poor woman! Kyouya, we must help her!" Mori let out a snicker, in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Kyouya should have known better about Tamaki. "What are you laughing at, Mori? Who knows what atrocities she endured! She must have the finest care. We must hunt down those vile creatures who did this to her!" Tamaki's eyes were shimmering with tears.

Kyouya couldn't help it. He cracked a smile. Tamaki would never change. "Tamaki, calm down. Didn't you hear me?" Tamaki eyed him distrustfully. "I already told you all of those things were taken care of. Her kidnapper is in custody and being interrogated. And while she had been drugged, she was otherwise not abused. She is currently comfortable in a private room at my hospital down the road. As a matter of fact, I was going down in a few minutes to interview her as she was too sick last night to do so." Kyouya said all this soothingly. Too late, Kyouya realized his mistake. He left Tamaki an opening. He really was stressed if he had slipped that badly.

"Wonderful! I'll go with you to make sure she has everything she needs. Oh, I know. She'll need to press charges against her villainous kidnapper. Haruhi can represent her!" Tamaki's eyes were now shimmering with joy at being of some help to the 'poor woman' in need.

Kyouya pinched the bridge of his nose. His migraine may come on faster than he thought. He eyed Mori for some help and didn't find any. Mori had a grin on his face. He was already standing with his briefcase in hand.

He murmured to Kyouya. "Let's go."

Kyouya sighed again. There was no getting out this exhibition. He collected his own briefcase and left the office with the other two men in tow. At least Tamaki hadn't called the 'poor woman' a princess.

Tamaki was now on the phone to Haruhi. "Haruhi! There's a poor princess in need of your help!"

Too late.


	5. Chapter 5

Kyouya led Tamaki and Mori out of his office, with Tamaki babbling to Haruhi. At least Kyouya didn't have to worry about a leak from Haruhi; he knew she'd keep it confidential.

He stopped at his secretary for her to set up a car for everyone. Continuing on, Kyouya asked Mori why he hadn't helped him get rid of Tamaki, somewhat annoyed he was stuck with him.

"I needed the laughter. I miss his antics," Mori replied, referring to Tamaki's explosion. "I haven't had much to feel happy about lately." Mori's face looked a little more pinched. Kyouya thought he was referring to his late wife, Kasumi.

As surprised as he was that Mori had offered that information, Kyouya was more distressed to find out how hard it'd been for Mori. He knew Mori loved his late wife very much. Even after 3 years, Mori mourned as though she had just passed recently. He resolved to get everyone together again, for Mori's sake.

Kyouya changed the tone a little, hoping to distract Mori from his sad thoughts. "Then just imagine what Ms. Kennedy is going to have to deal with when we show up with him." He was rewarded for his effort. Mori's expression shifted slightly. It was now a little softer. It wasn't noticeable except to those who knew him best. "By the way, why are you coming with me? I don't require legal representation for this interview."

Mori gave him a quick glance. "I'm curious," was all he said.

Before Kyouya could even start to ponder what sparked his curiosity, Tamaki caught his attention.

"Yay! Haruhi will meet us at the hospital for a consultation! What room number is she in, Kyouya?" His voice echoed piercingly in the elevator, making Kyouya wince. Tamaki was still on the phone with Haruhi.

_How was this turning into a three ring circus_, Kyouya wondered. In the midst of dealing with a security breach in his company, he had to deal with Tamaki's histrionics and Mori's curiosity. It was starting to remind him of the old Host Club days from high school. At least Haruhi would be professional, and Ms. Kennedy did need a lawyer of her own. Even if Haruhi wasn't the best to represent her, she would be able to offer a good recommendation.

"Tamaki, let me speak to Haruhi, please." When he received the phone, Kyouya asked, "Haruhi, do you mind meeting with Ms. Kennedy on such short notice? Unfortunately, proprietary corporate information may be involved, so the standard confidentiality clauses would have to be included." He had those papers with him for Ms. Kennedy, as well as extras if there were others they would apply to.

"No, Kyouya, I don't mind. I'm just lucky that today is a light day. There's nothing that can't be postponed until a little later," Haruhi replied.

"In that case…" Kyouya gave her some basic information and said that details would have to wait until they met. "We'll meet you at the hospital. Oh, and Haruhi, she apparently only speaks English." Kyouya didn't have any worries about it, but was just giving Haruhi a heads up. He knew she had a comprehensive knowledge of the language. After all, they were all in the U.S. for a while, and she had kept in practice. Before he handed the phone back to Tamaki, he said they'd be in the third conference room.

When they reached the garage, they met Tachibana at the car. He was joining them to meet Ms. Kennedy. Since there were so many people, instead of Kyouya's regular car or even his limo, it was Kyouya's armored SUV. Kyouya raised an eyebrow to Tachibana at the sight of the car. Tachibana simply stated that there was an unknown threat and this seemed the best option. Kyouya deferred to his judgment, not having the energy, or time, to debate it.

As they were leaving, Tachibana informed Kyouya that Inoue had given them the address where they had kept Ms. Kennedy. He said security personnel were on the way there, as well as the police detective that occasionally worked with the Ootori Corporation. Kyouya acknowledged it. He was grateful that Tachibana had convinced him to have a detective contractually obligated to keep silent any confidential corporate information he learned in the midst of his investigations.

During the ride, Kyouya also made sure Tamaki knew to tone down his personality for Ms. Kennedy. She had been through one traumatic experience; he didn't want to put her through another.

…

A loud knock interrupted Kristin from the papers she was working through. Ito-san came in with a woman right behind him. The woman was in a similar suit to Ito-san's and carrying a duffel bag and Kristin's laptop case.

Ito-san spoke up. "Kennedy-san, here are your things. Ootori-sama will be here in twenty minutes." With that, he turned around and left. Kristin was surprised at his abruptness. Maybe she had been ruder than she thought.

"Thank you for bringing them to me." Kristin gave the other woman a small smile showing her appreciation was sincere.

The woman nodded, still without a smile. However, she did speak up. "If Ootori-sama is coming soon, you'll want to get ready now," and held out the duffel.

Kristin quickly got up and grabbed the duffel. "Thanks, you're right." She walked into the ensuite bathroom and got cleaned up and dressed. They had even included all of her toiletries. She really appreciated the thoughtfulness. She was more presentable than before, even if she did have wet hair. She was clean and in her own clothes, rather than shopworn and in a hospital gown. She felt better about meeting Ootori-san.

When Kristin came out of the bathroom, she saw the woman was still there. Kristin thought she was also a guard. She had the military bearing. She took a quick glance at the clock in the room. He should be there any second. She couldn't get back to the papers, too little time. But she could put everything together, so when she could get back to it, it was ready.

While she was doing so, she addressed the woman. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to ask you before. What's your name?"

"Yoshida. I'm Ito-san's replacement." Yoshida-san said crisply.

"Ah. If they didn't tell you, I'm Kristin Kennedy. Thank you again for getting my stuff, especially the little things. I really appreciate it." Kristin was trying to be polite. _I guess Ito-san's gone off to report or whatever they do when getting off duty._ "Would you mind passing on my apologies to Ito-san? I didn't mean to offend him."

"No problem, Kennedy-san." She seemed more willing to talk than Ito-san, but she was still serious.

Then they heard a knock. Yoshida-san went and opened the door. On the other side were a group of men. Yoshida-san gave a bow and held the door open for them as they entered. This made Kristin somewhat nervous. She wasn't used to servitude being displayed. She was a little surprised that there were four of them. _Why were there so many?_ Kristin had only been expecting Ootori-san, or maybe even an assistant in his stead.

Kristin simply stood next to the bed. She was thrown off balance mentally, and wasn't sure what was expected of her. She had been annoyed that she needed to talk with him before she could start getting her affairs in order. Now, she had a bad case of nerves.

There was an awkward pause. Was she supposed to say something first? Before she could think of something to say, one of them spoke.

"Good morning, Ms. Kennedy."

She thought she recognized him as Ootori-san from last night. He was the only one with glasses on. The voice sounded close.

"Good morning. Ootori-san, right?"

"Yes, Ms. Kennedy. I hope you're feeling better than you were last night."

Kristin blushed a little thinking about the image she had presented – sick and weeping, curled up on the floor. She was definitely glad the guards were able to get her stuff so quickly.

"Yes, thank you, much better. It feels like the doctor performed a miracle." She paused here, not sure if she could just blurt out what she wanted to talk with him about. She wasn't the greatest at social graces.

"Of course the doctors here are well versed in their craft," Ootori-san smoothly stated. Kristin didn't know how to take that statement.

She noticed one of the men, one with light brown hair, was shifting his feet back and forth.

Ootori-san seemed to notice as well. "Ms. Kennedy, please allow me to introduce everyone. I don't know if you remember, but you met Tachibana Seizaburo last night. He is head of my security. He's heading the investigation. This is Morinozuka Takashi. He is assisting me with the legalities of the situation. And this is Suou Tamaki. He wanted to offer what help he could for you."

Each of the men had nodded their heads as they were mentioned. However, the last man, the one who hadn't stood still, stepped forward. "Ms. Kennedy, it is horrendous, the terrible events that have happened to you. Rest assured that-"

Ootori-san interrupted him. "Yes, we do need to discuss these events. Why don't we move to somewhere more comfortable? We can talk more easily in the conference room upstairs." Ootori-san spoke with an authority that seemed to negate any kind of opinion anyone else might have about it.

Kristin was a little taken back by Ootori-san's demeanor. He acted polite and polished, but he still seemed cold. She knew part of it was her own reaction to his assumption that no one would gainsay him. She would call him arrogant. But... he may have earned it, considering he _owned_ the Ootori Corporation and was wealthy enough to have, and need, private guards. She tried to not let it bother her as she still needed to speak with him. Hopefully, she'd only have to deal with him for a little longer.

Ootori-san looked at her with an expression she couldn't read. "Shall we, Ms. Kennedy?"

Still, he had an overwhelming personality no matter which way you looked at it, and Kristin could only nod her head in agreement. As the men headed out the door, she was glad she had put everything in her laptop bag. She could just grab it without wasting time. She definitely wasn't leaving the valuable item behind. Right now, it was her life line. The guard gestured for her to follow behind the men.

Kristin felt so awkward following behind these men, like she was in trouble at school and was following the teacher to the principal's office. Kristin's nervousness was getting worse. It was an obviously powerful man she was following. She didn't like that she had to follow in his wake, in _all_ of their wakes, like she was less than they were. Not to mention, they were tall compared to most Japanese men, especially one of them. That didn't help her feel at ease, since she was pretty short. She glanced at Yoshida-san, who was walking with them, hoping for some help as they arrived at a set of elevators. Yoshida-san seemed to notice her pleading. She turned to the older man (_Tachibana-san wasn't it?_) and said something to him. Kristin listened hard, hoping to understand something, anything. She caught the very end, it was a question. Tachibana-san replied just as an elevator arrived.

As the men stepped into it, Yoshida-san said, "We'll wait for the next one, Kennedy-san."

Kristin nodded her head and stood waiting with her. Yoshida-san waited for the doors to close before she pressed the button to summon another elevator.

"Thank you," Kristin said with heartfelt relief.

Yoshida-san simply said, "They wouldn't appreciate being crowded." Yoshida-san looked over at her. Kristin wasn't sure, but she looked a little concerned. "And it looked like you wouldn't have appreciated it either. Are you going to be okay, talking with them?"

Kristin was too agitated to try to guess why Yoshida-san was concerned, but answered as best she could. "Um… yeah. I think I'll be okay. I was just thrown off that he brought so many others with him." She eyed Yoshida-san. She wondered if the other woman would tell her something. "So who's the last guy? Sou-san, I think his name was?" Kristin asked as they stepped into the next elevator.

Yoshida-san corrected her. "His name is Suou-sama. He and Morinozuka-sama are associates of Ootori-sama." She eyed Kristin back, probably wondering if Kristin caught the implications. Kristin thought that meant they were some kind of board members with Ootori-san. Kristin knew it was a big assumption, but she thought it wouldn't go wrong if she treated them as such.

Kristin decided to be respectful, but firm. She wasn't about to let Ootori-san run right over her. She just hoped she could be firm enough against him.

…

When the elevator doors were shut, Kyouya spoke. "Tamaki, I understand you want to provide aid to Ms. Kennedy, however, I must ask you to stay out of the meeting. This is a corporate matter, and I cannot allow you to be a part of it." Tamaki's jaw hung open for a moment, before he closed it with a thoughtful expression in his eyes. Tamaki waited a moment before nodding his head at Kyouya. "Thank you for understanding."

Tachibana's eyes warmed slightly. Kyouya knew he wouldn't say anything, but it showed that Tachibana was glad Tamaki was being sensible.

"But I'll still assist Ms. Kennedy as she needs." Tamaki said stubbornly.

Kyouya replied, "Just don't force it on her. She has the right to refuse."

Tamaki humphed at that. "Why would she refuse my assistance?" Mori patted him on his shoulder. Kyouya waited for an answer. "Of course I wouldn't force a woman." Kyouya nodded his head.

The doors opened and they proceeded to the conference room. Outside, they met Haruhi.

"Hey, guys," she greeted them. Tachibana nodded his head and went straight into the room. Kyouya and Mori said a simple hello in return. Tamaki on the other hand…

"Haruhi!" Tamaki caught up his wife in a hug and landed a kiss on her cheek. Haruhi had a smile for her husband that clearly showed they were still very much in love with each other.

"Hi, Tamaki," she said softly. "Remember, I'm here on business, and I have to act like it." She still had her arms around him, but she had put a bit of distance between their bodies. She was gazing into his eyes; Kyouya thought it was to take in his reaction.

Tamaki's joy dimmed a little, but it didn't seem to depress him. "Of course, Haruhi." He planted a quick kiss on top of her head and stepped back. "She's coming up shortly. And I've promised Kyouya that I'll sit out of the meeting. Do you want me to wait for you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't know how long this will take. It may only be short, but it could also take all day. I'll see you and the kids at home."

"Alright, I'll wait and I'll introduce you. Then, I'll head back to the office." Tamaki settled into seeming contentment.

Kyouya watched them with amusement. Kyouya knew that Tamaki knew how to behave in a business environment, but he always seemed to push it when his wife was around. Even still, he was glad they were still so happy together. Haruhi had worked wonders for Tamaki. He wasn't as spastic as he used to be. Kyouya wondered if he had had any influence on Tamaki, since he was once asked by Tamaki for advice on how to deal with a professional Haruhi. He'd offered what he could.

Kyouya was grateful Tamaki hadn't given up on their friendship while he was in America. When he finally returned from his years in college, Tamaki had included him back into his life like he had never left. Haruhi was the one who had put boundaries on their relationship. She pointed out that Kyouya was now a working man who had long hours. Plus, they had had a small family, they had one toddler and another on the way, and they needed time together. So instead of annoying him at all hours of the day and night, Tamaki had started showing up at his office for lunches once or twice a week, and they usually met at least once on the weekends. They didn't see each other as often as they did when they were in high school, but it was still frequent.

Kyouya pulled out the papers he had mentioned earlier and put them on Haruhi's briefcase. "These are the papers, Haruhi."

She nodded and thanked him.

Kyouya saw that Tamaki was back to holding on to Haruhi, this time holding one of Haruhi's hands in both of his. He heard Mori sigh. It was enough to draw his attention. Mori is usually silent. He was standing stiffly beside the wall, looking carefully away from the love birds. Kyouya thought he was missing his wife again. He definitely had to contact Hani and discuss what to do for Mori. He didn't think it would wait until this disaster was over. He'd call sometime this evening.

Kyouya hoped the women arrived shortly. He needed to get this over with and back to the office. He had too much to do. He had heard Tachibana's phone go off and hoped that meant more information. He could hear the murmur of his conversation. Then, Tachibana looked up at Kyouya through the door with a small smile on his face. Kyouya wondered what that meant and purposefully raised an eyebrow at him, indicated he would like to know what that was about.

Then, he heard Tamaki introducing Haruhi to Ms. Kennedy. He turned back to the more important matter.

"Ms. Kennedy, this is my wife, Haruhi. She's a personal lawyer and agreed to talk with you about your predicament."

Ms. Kennedy looked a bit nonplussed at that. Kyouya saw that the guard had stayed at the elevators.

Haruhi shined her famous host smile and said with ease in English, "It's a pleasure to meet you, even if it's because of such a shocking event." Kyouya noticed she held out her hand in the western manner for a hand shake.

Ms. Kennedy took it and replied with, "Umm, thank you, Suou-san's." Kyouya winced inside at the bad grammar. "I appreciate that you'd want to meet with me. I do need a lawyer. I was going to contact the American Consulate to see if they could put me in touch with someone. I'd like to know what rights I have and I definitely could use some advice."

Haruhi nodded her head. "I understand. Why don't we go inside and we can talk a little bit more about your situation. Then we can see if I'd be able to help you. If not, I'll try my best to give a good reference."

Ms. Kennedy's shoulders dropped in relief, and Haruhi waved goodbye to Tamaki while herding Ms. Kennedy into the room. Kyouya could read Ms. Kennedy like an open book. She showed everything she was thinking in her body language. He was surprised at that, honestly, considering they were the same age. Granted, she didn't live in the business world that he did, but he thought she would have more control over herself, seeing as she was an adult. He saw how miserable she'd been with the drugs in her system, which may have been excusable, but also how nervous she'd been in her room and afterward following him, and now her relief at easily finding legal assistance.

Kyouya wondered if she'd try to hide anything during the interview. He was pretty certain he'd see it. He thought she was weak, a natural victim. Otherwise, she would have been much higher socially than she was before she got lucky. Free money falling in her lap didn't make her any higher. She had the intelligence to do something with her life, but she had let others hold her back.

Tachibana stepped out as Haruhi and Ms. Kennedy sat down at the table together. He said to Kyouya, "That was the security detail that checked the place they held her. They found three people dead, all male. Interestingly, one had a recent bite mark on his hand, from a human. They're supposing it was Ms. Kennedy. They are currently being sent to the morgue for autopsies. On the good side, they found Ms. Kennedy's purse. It appears everything inside had been left alone. I would guess that they didn't know she was wealthy when they had it. She's lucky." Kyouya snorted in disbelief. "In any case, her purse will be brought to her when they're finished. The detective said he needs to bring in the police since they found the dead bodies. He can't keep it an internal corporate affair after that."

Kyouya and Tachibana debated back and forth about how far to allow the police into the investigation, with Mori offering the occasional remark.

Mori interrupted at one point though. "I suggest we discuss this further later. The ladies appear to have finished."

Kyouya noticed Mori had perked up when he heard about the bite and kept glancing at the women during the discussion. He wondered if it wasn't the case in general but _Ms. Kennedy_ Mori was curious about. But then again, Mori did Kendo and Judo. He may just be interested in anything relating to fighting. He had more than one thing to discuss with Hani.

For now, he needed to get this meeting started.

* * *

**AN:** Please review so I know how you like the story so far.


	6. Chapter 6

Kristin and Suou-san sat at the conference table. Tachibana-san had walked over to the door and was talking to Ootori-san and Morinozuka-san. The room was brightly lit. Most of the light came in through the floor to ceiling windows at one end. The view of the city was incredible. Kristin was a little distracted by it.

"Have you ever hired a lawyer before, Ms. Kennedy?" Suou-san asked, bringing Kristin's attention back.

Kristin shrugged. "Only for my divorce, Suou-san. And that was only because there was a lot of money involved. I didn't want to be greedy, but I wanted my fair share. He said it was pretty simple. I'm guessing this would be in a whole other ball park."

Suou-san looked confused. "Sorry, ball park?"

Kristin thought how to clarify it. "Umm… just a figure of speech saying it's totally different."

"Oh, got it. Well, yes, you're right. For now, this is just a consultation. Kyouya gave me a quick summary of your situation; however, I'll need detailed information to decide if I can help you. Unfortunately, some of that information may be proprietary to the Ootori Corporation. I'm going to be required by Kyouya to sign confidentiality agreements. You will, too," Suou-san explained.

Kristin nodded her head. After she had remembered more from last night, she knew she would have to. It didn't bother her, though. She didn't want to use the information. Although, she was mildly curious what would happen to her if she didn't sign them. "I don't mind, but I'd like to know what I'm signing."

She also noticed that Suou-san had called Ootori-san by his first name. If her husband was an 'associate' of Ootori-san's, then she must know him, as well. She must know him pretty well if she uses his first name. She seemed nice enough, but Kristin wasn't sure if she'd help her against Ootori-san if needed.

Suou-san nodded her head. "I'll explain it to you. For now, this is all for just the consultation. If we decide that it's a good idea for me to represent you, then there will be other papers to sign. I'll go over those when needed."

For now, Kristin needed her help. They bent their heads together over the papers, and once finished, Suou-san said, "Okay, with just these, I can help you through this meeting and we can talk more after. For now, we need to start the meeting. Kyouya is busy and needs to get back to his office. Anything I miss that may be important, we can discuss after."

With that said, Suou-san looked over at the men, drawing them into the room. "Kyouya, here are your papers," she said as she handed them over.

"Thank you, Haruhi," Ootori-san replied as he passed them on to Morinozuka-san. He nodded to Tachibana-san. Tachibana-san put a recorder on the table and set it to record. "Ms. Kennedy, seeing as you were sick last night and weren't in the best shape to tell us what happened, would you mind starting over?"

Kristin nodded her head and took a deep breath. She started with being on vacation, meeting up with the two American assistants, how she got kidnapped, what Sato-san had wanted from her, being drugged, her thoughts on Sato-san, her plan, being drugged again. Here she paused. This was the part that might help or hurt.

"Last night, I couldn't remember too much of what happened at the party. Well, this morning I realized I remembered it better. I think it was the drug Sato-san gave me in the car because I'm usually really bad at remembering, especially when things are chaotic. Anyway, what I remember best from last night are the sounds. I don't remember what 'the assistant' looked like, but I'm pretty sure it was a man, from his voice. I remember him talking to me, telling me what to memorize."

Most of them had some kind of reaction to that. Ootori-san and Tachibana-san had narrowed their eyes and leaned forward. Suou-san's had looked alternately surprised and dismayed throughout her recitation, and that didn't really change. Morinozuka-san didn't seem to have a reaction at all, though.

Knowing that the information was most likely private corporate material, Kristin was nervous about admitting it. But she tried to put on a brave front, resting her arms on the table, hands flat. However, she couldn't look up from the table top in front of her. "He told me several things actually.

"The first was that their endeavor with one of the divisions in your Ootori Group pharmaceutical company was working. It's the one here in Japan and it is falsifying data to show a better outcome for the drug their creating. The true data shows that it is more dangerous than would be accepted. His words, not mine. He said he had access to both sets of data they were creating. He said the drug was soon to be released for a large scale trial, and that the results would damage your company because of the pretrial testing. He made me memorize a spreadsheet. I could try to recreate it for you, but I mostly remember him telling me the data as he went over it, not what it looked like.

"The second was that Himawari Pharmaceuticals that had been recently bought is actually an industrial polluter and gave me the details of that, too. I could write it down for you. He said the information was going to be leaked to the press in about a week's time. He didn't tell me how he got that information.

"The third was the formula for a drug that has a high potential for success. Again, I can write that one down as it was told to me. I'm not sure how it would normally be written though.

"The last were messages. First was that one of your partners was considering backing their endeavors and that he'd get the information to them after they agreed. Second was even without your partner, the company would be in the position they wanted soon, but that everything would have to be completed before the next stock holders meeting if they want their plan to work.

"He never said who 'they' were or anything else about their plan. After that last message, he took me back to the party. I remember bumping into Charlotte and Michelle, and you. And you know the rest."

Kristin was terrified by this point. She didn't realize just how much she remembered until she started saying it. She hadn't expected it. Her memory was usually pretty bad; she did better with understanding spatial concepts. Had the drug helped just for that time? Or did it affect her more permanently? She wasn't sure if she wanted to mention it. She wasn't sure how much more stress she could take. She wanted to get away from this man, this place. She just wanted this to all be over with. Forget the rest of her vacation. She just wanted to be home.

…

Kyouya was floored. He didn't realize the crisis was this bad. If this was true, then this could potentially ruin the whole Ootori Group, not just the Ootori Corporation he held. He needed to get back to the office and start digging into the information she just gave. He wasn't sure if he believed it. The ineptitude of Inoue's actions could indicate this was a red herring. He needed verification of Ms. Kennedy's statement. However, even if untrue, the insinuations of wrongdoing would injure his company.

Kyouya noticed Tachibana on his cell phone already. He knew Tachibana was calling the different investigation teams for updates and would shortly head back to headquarters. Kyouya needed to make sure Ms. Kennedy didn't become a liability.

"Ms. Kennedy, this is an issue. I am going to have to ask you to bear with me during this. You have information that could put you into danger again, as well as severely harm my company. Inoue, which is Sato's real name, works for a rival company. If they find out you have this information, they will try to kidnap you again. I am going to have to put into protective custody."

"What? Protective custody? NO! This is my life! I get to choose what happens to me! Not anyone else! First I have to wait for your _permission_ to contact anyone about _my_ business and now you're trying to cut me off completely?" Ms. Kennedy burst out. She had stood up and put her hands on the table in front of her. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, her eyes flashing as she glared at him.

Tachibana stood up next to him. Kyouya put an arm out to stop him from doing anything to escalate the situation. Mori had shifted to the edge of his chair, also ready to defend him if needed. Haruhi simply looked at her in shock.

Kyouya was also surprised by her outburst. He didn't think she had it in her, honestly. He wasn't sure what she meant by needing his permission, though. However, he calmly stated to her, "Ms. Kennedy, I have to safe guard my company's future. Part of that is going to have to be to safe guard you until the information you have is no longer relevant."

Ms. Kennedy interrupted again. "So that gives you the right to decide what to do with me? You're not my master; you're not even my boss. I'm not even a Japanese citizen! You can't just decide _for_ me. I have my own life I have to take care because of this crap. I'm not going to lose it on your whim!"

Her eyes had never left his. Kyouya found himself impressed in spite of himself. It had been a long while since anyone stood up to him. He forgot what it felt like. He didn't like it. And if she thought this was only a whim… He was starting to get ticked off by this presumptuous woman.

Haruhi apparently caught the gleam in his eye, and waded into the fray. "Kyouya, this is something that needs to be discussed in depth and without either side trying to dictate. I suggest we postpone this discussion until after lunch at least. My client does have rights that I am not about to allow to be thrown out the window. However, I understand you have security concerns on your part. Let's cool off for a little bit and come back later."

Kyouya was trying to keep his temper. He had to stop and think about what Haruhi had just said. _Damn, she's right._ That brought him up short. Why was he getting angry? While, yes, it was irritating that Ms. Kennedy was arguing with him, it shouldn't have gotten him angry. It must be the stress of the situation and the lack of sleep. He grabbed hold of his temper. He wouldn't let himself lose control.

Even through his internal debate, he had still been watching Ms. Kennedy. She had stood straight and looked at Haruhi for moment before sitting with dignity. "Fine. I'll agree to _discuss_ this later."

Kyouya caught the emphasis, but still replied calmly. "Then how about we meet again at four back in my office. I have other things to take care of before we can return to this."

Haruhi looked at Ms. Kennedy, whose anger was still evident, if restrained for the moment. She simply said, "Fine."

Kyouya rose from his chair; everyone followed suit. "In that case, ladies, I'll see you later. Gentlemen, I'll give you a ride back to my office, if you wish." And walked out, with Tachibana in tow.

When he reached the elevators, Ms. Kennedy's guard already had one waiting for them. As Tachibana was telling her that Ms. Kennedy wasn't to be let out of her sight, Mori walked up, without his briefcase.

"I'll be there later. I want to talk with Haruhi first. May I fully explain your predicament? It may shorten meeting," he said.

Kyouya thought that was a good idea. He didn't need Mori just yet, and if it saved time, he was all for it. They had already agreed to confidentiality, and in Ms. Kennedy's case, she _was_ the biggest liability. "Go ahead," was all he said, though, and let the doors shut.

…

Kristin sat back down in the chair with a thump when the men left. She was still vibrating with anger. She had been put through so much and it just wouldn't let up. She was pushed and pushed and pushed! At first, she was so nervous about what he would do. Would he sue her? Have her arrested as a thief? She wouldn't have been as infuriated about those as she would be in control of herself, since she was innocent. But then he decided _for_ her that she would go into protective custody. _He_ decided that _he_ would have control of her life. Without asking her opinion or permission. He had said it with all the arrogance she'd seen in him so far. She snapped.

She slumped back in the chair, her fists shaking, eyes closed, trying to get herself back under control. She was trying to control her breathing, in through the nose, out through the mouth, trying to calm herself down.

When she got herself better under control, she opened her eyes to ask Suou-san about calling Kristin her client, except she wasn't in the room anymore, and Yoshida-san was. Kristin wondered where she had gone. She thought they had more to discuss. "Yoshida-san, where did Suou-san go?"

"She's right outside talking with Morinozuka-sama."

"Oh." That was all Kristin could think to say right then. Her emotions felt like they had gone through a blender. But she tried to think of something she could do rather than just sitting there. She had a lot still left to do. Maybe she had time to start on the paperwork she needed to get done. And maybe, finally, get a phone. "So, any news on me being able to use a phone? I could pay for the international charges if I could use one the phones here. I have a lot I need to get done." She needed to start things rolling, especially if she was going against such a head strong man.

Yoshida-san's reply surprised her. "Actually, your purse was found and will be brought to you early this afternoon. They told me that your phone and wallet are still inside."

"Really? How'd they find it?" Kristin felt better knowing that. She was slowly getting her life back together.

"The team investigating the flat you were being held in found it. They decided there wasn't anything about it that would help with the investigation, so they released it."

Kristin was a little surprised about that news. She didn't know there even was an investigation in progress, let alone that they found the place that fast. She suddenly made a connection. Ootori-san said that Sato was an alias, that his real name was Inoue, and he worked for a rival company. He must have found Inoue-san then.

She took note of the time from the clock on the wall. It was eleven forty in the morning. She wondered what else had happened in just over twelve hours. _Wait; has it only been 12 hours since Ootori-san caught me?_ It was probably a couple more hours than that, but it was still a very short time. And it was only thirty six hours since this started for her.

_And damn, but lunch sounds good right now,_ Kristin thought. Not to mention, she couldn't just stay in the conference room all day. What if her doctor was looking for her?

Just as she was about to get up, Suou-san walked back in with Morinozuka-san.

Suou-san smiled at Kristin. "Do you mind a working lunch? We were going to have something delivered up here since we have a lot to go over."

Or maybe she _could_ stay in the conference room all day.

"And since it _is_ a working lunch, I'll add the bill to my consultation fee. No need to worry about paying for it right now." Suou-san said, still with that smile.

Kristin's stomach told her not to argue with it. Even if she didn't have the money right then, in the end she'd still pay for it. She wondered, though, who had told her that Kristin didn't have her purse.

Kristin smiled. "That sounds like a good idea." She noticed Morinozuka-san also sat down at the table. She wondered what he wanted.

Suou-san leaned towards Kristin. "First, I just want to say I really want to help you. This was so wrong. The people who did this to you, everyone who had a hand in it, need to be held accountable. I want to help you do that. Second," she glanced at Morinozuka-san quickly and then turned back to Kristin, "you'll mostly likely need my help if you intend to hold your own against Kyouya. He can be quite stubborn about doing things his way. I want to help you with that, to make sure he doesn't neglect your wishes and rights. He can't force you to do anything against your will. Even if he's my friend, I won't let him force you."

Morinozuka-san shifted in his seat. Suou-san seemed to think that was a comment. "Mori, you know I'm right."

Kristin didn't think he responded, but Suou-san smiled at him. Kristin thought that he must give very subtle cues, and if Suou-san could pick up on them, and call him a nickname, she must know _him_ well, also. Kristin wondered if they were all friends, if that was what Yoshida-san meant by 'associates' of Ootori-san.

But, she thought that she just might need the help from someone who could stand up to Ootori-san. Kristin decided to hire Suou-san. "If you're comfortable working with me, then I'm glad to have your help," she said.

The women talked through lunch, with Kristin's purse arriving at the end. Suou-san assured Kristin that she could conduct her affairs when and as she saw fit. Kristin was going to talk to the police about her kidnapping. She was going to notify the American Consulate about what happened, but ask them to not get involved unless it becomes necessary later. She would also contact her bank and ensure her accounts were safe. While Kristin would be doing that and the hospital's paperwork, Suou-san would contact her law firm to settle what she needed to there. Morinozuka-san only offered a rare comment during their talk. By mutual agreement, they left Ootori-san's 'offer' of protective custody as the last discussion.

…

When Takashi first heard from Kyouya, he was interested in the case. It was very unusual. A kidnapping plus corporate espionage? Very unusual. He would always help his friends when needed, and Kyouya would never ask for help unless it was dire. So he agreed. Then he found out more about the victim - a woman who had been kidnapped and drugged, and then forced to participate in theft. His protective inclinations came to the forefront. He wanted to make sure Ms. Kennedy would be okay, especially since Kyouya had 'advised' her against leaving.

He was surprised by her appearance in the hospital room. He had been told that she was feeling better from last night, but he wasn't expecting to see her dressed and out of bed. He saw that she was nervous at seeing them, and had somewhat expected it. He thought that it might have been partially from her experiences over the last couple of days. Even taking into account that she had been in the military, from what Kyouya's people had found she never saw any kind of violence. He had helped his cousin a couple of times in training Kyouya's security guards, and he saw the difference in the people who had experienced it. However, the more exposure a person has to violence, the less traumatic it is. Her nervousness could indicate a certain amount of trauma. He wondered if she'd need help later.

Then he heard about the man with bite mark on his hand. He was curious about that. Not many people, even trained, would have done that without prior knowledge of just how bad things can get. It's an act of desperation. He wondered about that, about her. What made her do such an act? If it _was_ her who bit the man…

As he watched her, she seemed quiet, not hysterical, but within norms for a victim. However, at the end, she displayed a bit of temper. Takashi granted that he could understand her being upset that Kyouya was… being Kyouya. He and Haruhi knew Kyouya, knew how he was, and that while he would be thinking in his own best interest, he would also take into account the welfare of Ms. Kennedy. But she didn't know Kyouya. And apparently, she didn't like being told what to do. That temper was unexpected, considering her behavior and experiences so far. She was a curiosity and another diversion for him.

Aside from Kyouya's 'advisement' about leaving, Kyouya was clear from any legal action from her so long as he didn't push her against her will. Haruhi was right about that. So Takashi felt free to help her. He agreed with Kyouya's assessment that she was a danger and in danger. He believed that she should have a guard, and that Kyouya's private security personnel would be well able to protect her. He also knew that the best protection would come with limited movement of the person being protected, thus Kyouya's 'protective custody' idea.

When Kyouya left, he came back to find Haruhi standing outside the conference room. He looked questioningly at her.

Haruhi smiled and said, "Ms. Kennedy looked like she could use a little space."

That made him look in at her. He saw she was sitting with her eyes closed. She seemed to be doing some calming exercises. He left her alone for the moment. He turned back to Haruhi and told her about Kyouya's reservations about the situation. They both understood Kyouya's predicament if everything was as it seemed. Kyouya also had the worry of _how_ things had gotten as bad as they had. Why had no one caught any of the issues?

Takashi told Haruhi his opinion on Kyouya's offer, but Haruhi said she would support whatever decision Ms. Kennedy made, so she wasn't going to venture an opinion on Kyouya's proposal. However she did say that if Kyouya was going to stubbornly try to force Ms. Kennedy, she was going to call in Tamaki to straighten him out. The thought of Tamaki chastising Kyouya had Takashi smiling. He almost wished that would happen, just for the sheer amusement, if it wouldn't affect Ms. Kennedy so much. Takashi didn't mention Kyouya's hypocrisy when he told Tamaki not to force anything on her. He thought it would unnecessarily hinder him.

When the discussion came around to Kyouya's offer, Ms. Kennedy closed up her body language. Up to that point, she had been open, relaxed, smiling some, and even laughed once. Now, she was stiff and her face was blank. He wondered what made her so upset about it. He knew he would now have to be more forward in the discussion.

"What's wrong with Kyouya's offer?" He asked Ms. Kennedy.

In clipped tones, she replied. "It wasn't an offer. He _ordered_ it. I refuse to be ordered around."

Takashi waited to see if she'd say anything more. When she didn't, he asked, "Do you agree that you're in danger?" He wanted to convince her that it was the best choice at the moment.

"Possibly. However, if I go back home, then I won't be."

Takashi thought she was being too simplistic, maybe even deliberately so. "You still have your charges against your kidnappers to deal with here. Are you going to give that up?" He didn't think so, but he offered the option.

Ms. Kennedy was silent for moment. "I do see what you're trying to get at. No, I don't want to let them go. However, _I_ am going to be the one to decide what I do. _If_ I decide to take him up on his _offer_, then I will have some control of what it entails. I'd like to see what other options are available before _I_ decide."

He caught her emphases and the sarcasm. She did _not_ like Kyouya's order. He wondered if she is always this stubborn. It certainly explained her outburst earlier.

Haruhi spoke up. "That's something you and I can go over before we meet with Kyouya."

Takashi knew Kyouya would be open to other options, so long as the security issue was satisfied. That was something Ms. Kennedy and Kyouya would have to discuss. He wasn't his place to do so.

Takashi knew this was the point to end the conversation. "In that case, I'll head back now since there is much to do. I'll see you at the meeting."

"Thank you, Mori," Haruhi said. "We'll see you in a little bit."

Takashi simply nodded and picked up his briefcase. The last thing he saw when he left was that Ms. Kennedy already had her laptop open and phone in hand.


	7. Chapter 7

Kristin had completed most of her list of things to do that afternoon. Her finances were safe, her insurance and hospital paperwork were in line, and she had contacted the Consulate for a short talk. The Consulate aide had offered his sympathy and said that she was in good hands with Suou-san, that she was the best lawyer for Kristin's circumstance. Kristin hadn't mention Ootori-san's 'offer' to them because it was still being discussed. If he tried to force her though, she planned to call them back.

That was one response that Suou-san and Kristin had worked out. Suou-san said she had something else she could use but she didn't want to say anything about it just yet. She said she hoped she didn't need to use it. Kristin let it stand. She felt she didn't need to know ahead of time if Suou-san felt that strongly about it. She wanted to trust the woman who would have such a strong influence in her life.

Before they left, Suou-san talked with Kristin about what options they could see. There were depressingly few. Kristin decided the best for her was to take up Ootori-san's 'offer' but with her own codicils. The down sides were that it could mean a battle with Ootori-san about what would be reasonable or not and she'd run the chance of being indebted to him. However, even though she had won the lottery, all it meant was that she had an income comparable to upper middle class; compared to Ootori-san, she wasn't rich by any means. Suou-san advised her that she would have to think carefully about each point she wanted. She said that Ootori-san would eventually accept reasonable requests, but they would have to be well thought out. She also advised setting up a contract stating what is and is not acceptable, and how much she would be obligated to him for. She had assured Kristin that she would support her decision no matter what. Kristin felt a little better about meeting Ootori-san knowing that.

Kristin would be dropping school for the mean time. Considering how complex the situation was, it wouldn't be over for months at least and years at most, Suou-san had advised her. Since she had independent means to pay for college, and wasn't desperate for work, it wasn't a major issue. After the lottery, she stayed in school simply because she loved the curriculum, loved learning in general. She could go back to it after this was done, or even try online education.

The only things left for her to do that day were the meeting with Ootori-san and speaking with the police. She had had a chance to speak with her doctor earlier. She explained that there was a lot happening to her at the moment, and that staying in the hospital was not realistic. The doctor was reluctant to let her leave, and had actually expressed disapproval of her even going up to the conference room. Kristin told her that she was feeling fine and that if anything happened, she had someone who would bring her back. Kristin felt she was stretching the truth about the last part. She wasn't sure if Yoshida-san would stay with her over night, or for that matter, anyone, no matter where it was. But Kristin felt fine other than the worry that was eating at her mind.

When it came time to leave, Yoshida-san insisted on calling for one of their cars to come pick the women up. The guard said that it was part of her security services. Kristin mentally added the words 'for the moment' to that. But they had arrived in good time to meet with Ootori-san.

Ootori-san's office was an intricate, well-balanced blend of contemporary and casual. His workspace was against the middle of a one side wall of an expansive room. His desk was a sophisticated combination of frosted glass and dark wood. His chair had frosted glass arms and the leather was dyed to match the color of the wood. The two chairs in front of the desk went with the style but were obviously designed as guest chairs. Along the same wall, between his desk and the door, were several short filing cabinets. On the wall opposite were several ornate bookcases, shelves filled with alternating books and curios. The bookcases and the filing cabinets weren't part of the set, but they fit the overall style of the room better than if they were.

At the far end of the room was a more informal seating area. He had two velvety soft leather sofas facing each other across a slate-tiled coffee table and a couple of plush chairs at each end. Kristin thought the coffee table was an odd choice for an executive office; however it somehow worked in the space. Kristin thought that while plants would normally be considered important for rounding out the room, in this case they would have soften it so much that they would have detracted from the space.

In addition to a sleek interior, he also had an amazing view outside his office windows of the city skyline with an expansive park that could be seen to the right. In spite of the seriousness of the meeting, she couldn't keep her eyes away from the view for very long. It was similar to the conference room view at the hospital. It was amazing. Kristin highly irrelevantly wondered what it would look like at night.

Despite her current opinion of Ootori-san, Kristin had to admit that she fell in love his office.

Everyone from earlier were gathered again, here in his office instead of another conference room. Kristin wasn't sure why that was so, but no one broached the subject and she didn't either. Because of the number of people, they were sitting at the seating area. Kristin wasn't sure how the subject for the meeting would be brought up. She was determined to have control over herself. So even though she had some practice at such action, this was against a rich, intelligent person who was _well_ practiced at getting what he wanted. She was very nervous about defying him. She didn't know how he would behave. She _wanted_ Ootori-san to actually phrase the option as an offer rather than an order. She thought that would show consideration for her as a person rather than a thing. So, she waited for him to start.

…

Kyouya was tired. He and Tachibana had gone their separate ways when they arrived back at the corporate building. He foresaw a huge amount of work to be done, and he would waste time commuting from his home. Thus, he made the decision to move up to one of the apartments upstairs. Those apartments were for important guests or the family to stay in when there was need, as was the case now. He called his staff at the house to pack and move what he'd need for an extended stay.

He while his lunch was sent up, he started reading the reports that had filtered in during his absence. He next had to review all the projects going on and planned, sending out emails putting on hold some projects and cancelling others.

After, he talked with Tachibana and his secretary, Yamada, about finding people to work with his private security teams Tachibana set up. They needed people to work the office side of the investigation. Yamada was going through personnel lists for qualified, but hopefully uninvolved people to put in a list for security to check.

After, he and Tachibana discussed that it seemed all the points Ms. Kennedy listed had to do with the pharmacy section of Ootori Group, whether they were part of the Ootori Corporation or not. It could mean the person or people who are inside sabotaging the Group only have access to that portion. Another possibility was that the rival company was only interested in working in that section. A third was that it was another way to throw the investigation.

Now, he was sitting with Ms. Kennedy again, wasting time he needed to use elsewhere, all because she wouldn't be reasonable in the first place. Haruhi had blocked him before he could even think about intimidating Ms. Kennedy. When Mori came back, he told him that she had taken his statement as an order. While that was close to the truth and he may have tried it if his thoughts had gotten that far, he knew he would have to get her to _agree_ to his demands. It seemed he would have to spend time coaxing her.

He waited to see if she'd be the first to say something. When she didn't, he spoke up. "Ms. Kennedy, I hope that you have had a chance to think over my offer."

Ms. Kennedy gazed at him for a moment. He could have sworn she was debating on being sarcastic or not. This was not the same woman who stood nervously in her hospital room or who sat weeping and sick on the floor. "Ootori-san, you know as well as I do, that it was not exactly an offer. However, I am willing to discuss the details of your offer. I want to be upfront about something, though. If we can't come to an agreement, then I will make my own arrangements."

Kyouya was slightly irritated, but not surprised, at her statement. He didn't want to be there all evening arguing over what needed to be done. However, no matter how grating it was, he had to concede that it was a fair position for her. He negotiated corporate deals quite often; this was a just a simpler version of that.

Kyouya acknowledged her statement, and they spent the next hour negotiating what each wanted. The final deal was set up as a legal contract between them. She was pickier than he had hoped for. She insisted on several points that were minor to him. However, the contract was something he felt comfortable with. The main points were that he was providing protection and a safe place to stay; she would be using one of the apartments upstairs and he would supply the guards. They would be splitting the expenses evenly; she needed the protection; he needed to protect his investments. Anything that she would be charged over a set limit she needed to be informed of in advance and given the option to decline.

He was surprised at her memory, though. Several times she had quoted something one of them had said earlier, once even quoting him from the night before. He found himself intrigued by it. He noticed that Mori and Tachibana had taken note of it, as well. After Ms. Kennedy and Haruhi left to take care of a few last errands, he asked Tachibana and Mori to stay for a few minutes more.

He turned to them and asked, "What did you think of Ms. Kennedy? Is she going to be a hindrance?"

Tachibana glanced at Mori to see if he'd speak up first, and when he didn't, said, "I think she's being as intelligent as possible about this. I'd say that, yes, she's trying to look out for her own self-interest, but she's not being greedy about it."

Mori grunted. "She might understand what the best action is, but she will fight against anyone who tries to compel her do something. She seems to value her independence most. If something were to threaten that, she might fight against the best action. However, otherwise she seems honest enough."

Tachibana disagreed slightly. "She is intelligent. I don't think she would do anything that would jeopardize her self-interest. She gave a rather frank accounting of what happened to her. Kyouya-sama could have taken negative action against her. However, she probably knows that if she held anything back, he would find out, and that would hurt her." He said this with an air of someone who knows how far Kyouya could and would go if need be.

Mori didn't say anything else. Kyouya knew that he had given his opinion and he didn't need to argue it. But Kyouya wondered what she considered her best interests were. If she fought, or worse lied, then he would have to invoke stricter measures, whether she willingly complied or not. He wanted to gain a better understanding of her to put plans in place for such an occurrence.

"Mori, are there going to be any issues with her presenting testimony?"

The discussion turned to more important matters, and the men went their separate ways afterward. Kyouya returned to his work. He had so much more to take care of with his assistant unable to help. He had to handle the daily business, including a good bit of his assistant's work, plus the extra work from the emergency. He would be up late tonight reviewing the different reports and doing more research. And he still had to call Hani. He would wait until after supper, though. There was still no competing with cake.

…

Takashi got home in time to have supper with his children. He sat down just before the food was served. His oldest, Joji, gave him a warm big smile, his daughter, Asuka a shy small one. They greeted him after the food was served. There was no requirement for silence at meal times.

Joji teased, "So Father, cutting it a little close?" His son was very similar his Uncle Satoshi.

Takashi replied, "I was working." He loved talking with his children, but Joji, at eight years old, was learning how to ask the right questions and so he left his answer at that, waiting. It was one of the skills every heir needed.

Joji picked up that there was more to work than usual. "Did something happen at work today?"

Takashi smiled. "Good," he rewarded. "Sort of. I am currently on leave to work on an independent case." Takashi had left before the kids had even gotten up that morning, so he hadn't had a chance to tell them about some consequences. This was the perfect chance. "This case is very unusual and there will be times when I get very busy. There may be times when I don't come home for supper and I may occasionally need to work on the weekends."

He paused here for a second, taking in the expressions on his children's faces. He wanted to see their reactions when he said this next part. "I am sorry. I might not be able to make it to your tournament next weekend." Their faces fell. Both were entered into a judo tournament and had high hopes of placing well. They wanted this as a chance to show their father how well they've been doing. "I understand how important the tournament is to you two and I will make every effort to attend. However, this case is very important, and I have to keep on top of it. I hope you children will understand this." They nodded their heads. Takashi smiled at them. He was very proud of them putting aside their dismay. "Thank you." He then changed the topic. "So, how was your day?"

The conversation lasted through the rest of dinner. After, he left them to do their homework as he went to his office to review some family projects. Just before Joji and Asuka went to bed, they came in to say good night. He kissed them on their heads. He watched Joji hold the door open for his sister. He felt a wave of pride at how caring his son was of his younger sister. It reminded him of himself and Mitsukuni when they were young.

And it reminded him of himself and Kasumi. He always took the opportunity to show her how very much he cared for her. Yes, he still missed her very much, but he was learning that life did go on, and that he could find some happiness in it.

It may have surprised some people, but the one he had gone to when he was in need was to Ranka-san. He would sometimes offer advice, sometimes his own experiences, sometimes a willing ear, and sometimes, rarely, just comfortable silence. He understood the turmoil Takashi was going through, and that understanding helped Takashi through the worst. Takashi was never more grateful to have been introduced to the man.

An hour later, he also went to bed. His last thoughts of the day were about his children. He wondered how they were holding up without their mother, if they were learning the same lessons he was. He wanted to protect them from any further heartache. He was more worried about his kids when the anniversary his wife died came around. His friends and family had come around to support them. His father had taken the opportunity to take him to the side. He mentioned that Takashi should think about finding another wife. He said they needed a mother in their life and the Morinozuka's will need a Lady of the House when Takashi takes over. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, yet, even Mitsukuni. He didn't want his children to find out. He didn't want to put them through even more stress.

…

Kristin arrived at her new apartment. It was amazing. She fell in love with it immediately. It was a two bedroom with a study. It had a huge balcony and lots of windows, both of which over looked that wonderful view she had so admired from Ootori-san's office. She felt a thrill of excitement at the thought she just might get a chance to see a thunder storm while she was here. She loved storms. The raw power that came with them was amazing. And it wasn't just the physical power she was referring to; she was pagan, so she felt the natural world's energies, too. She felt tingly just thinking about it.

She turned to Yoshida-san, who had accompanied her throughout the day. "Have you ever experienced a storm from up here?" she asked with a grin on her face. It just wouldn't go away.

Yoshida-san raised an eyebrow to her. "No, I haven't. I take it you're looking forward to it."

Kristin's grin got bigger. "Yup!" She turned back to the view. She couldn't get enough of it.

Finally, she sighed and looked back to the rest of the room. It was an open concept living/dining with the kitchen only separated from it by a long island. The windows started about two feet from the floor and went to the ceiling, and were all along the outside walls. The apartment actually had a foyer. It was so chic. She had the master bedroom. Fortunately, the bath was westernized, with a shower and Jacuzzi tub. She couldn't wait to try it out. The whole apartment was mesmerizing. She wasn't sure she'd be able to leave it when the time came.

_And back to the real world_, she thought. Kristin had let herself get distracted by the magnificence of the apartment. She went to go unpack her belongings; those had been picked up for her from the hotel during the meeting with the police. After, Suou-san had told her they'd meet again the next afternoon and left for home.

Yoshida-san had told her a few things on the ride back from the police station. She was assigned as Kristin's permanent body guard. She said there weren't many females on staff who were trained as guards, and only one other who spoke English fluently. She explained how she would have to be able to follow Kristin anywhere, so a female guard was necessary. Kristin didn't agree that she needed to be guarded that closely, but she felt better having another woman around rather than a man. Also, since Kristin didn't speak Japanese, Yoshida-san was moving into the other bedroom to be available when needed. Kristin asked if she minded, if she was being separated from a family. Yoshida-san assured her that she didn't mind and that it was part of her job to move around. In her mind, Kristin tried to put it into a military reference frame, that Yoshida-san had known what the job entailed.

After unpacking, Kristin returned to the main room. She saw Yoshida-san puttering around in the kitchen. Kristin was curious about meals and asked her about it. "Yoshida-san, what are the arrangements for food? Do we make individual meals? Would you want to combine meals? Just to warn you, I know nothing about Japanese meals; I only know American meals."

Yoshida-san put the water away before she replied. "Well, to be honest, I don't cook all that much. I usually either get something out or pretty much prepackaged. It'd probably be easier for each of us to make our own meals. Although, Ootori-sama did offer to have someone bring meals for us, too. I'd rather just have what I'm used to. Does that sound like what you wanted?"

Kristin realized Yoshida-san was a lot more open and relaxed now. Before she didn't say much, and what she did say was fairly formal. Kristin preferred the new Yoshida-san, and making her own meals. "Yes, that sounds good." But she did catch one thing. "But, umm, 'us, too'? What does that mean?"

"Ootori-sama's chef will be cooking for him and it would be just as easy for him to cook for three as one and bring it over to us."

Kristin thought that over for a second. "Wait, that sounds like he's going to be here." Was that right?

Yoshida-san replied matter-of-factly. "Yes, Ms. Kennedy. Ootori-sama is staying in his apartment down the hall."

Kristin wasn't sure how to take that, but she felt a little awkward about having her… benefactor?... ally? Kristin thought benefactor was closer… but having her benefactor living _and_ working in the same building as she's living in. But she decided that she'd probably still rarely see him and that only for business.

She returned to the original subject. "Okay, so we get our own stuff. Then shopping wouldn't be a problem? And is there somewhere I'd be able to get some American ingredients? I mean, I don't need some extravagant stuff, just basic stuff. I haven't been in any supermarkets here, so I don't know what's available." She hoped she got her meaning across; she didn't want to sound like some stuck up foreigner, but she wanted comfort food, food she was used to. She just didn't want to offend Yoshida-san.

Yoshida-san seemed to be thinking it over while drinking. "We'll have to see about that. I'll have to look into it tomorrow. Is that okay? And you can see what we have in stock for now." She gestured to the pantry off to the side.

Well, since they'd already had dinner, and the pantry was huge, Kristin nodded. "That sounds okay."

Yoshida-san started to smile, but got caught in a yawn. Kristin followed. "We're both tired. How about we talk in the morning?" Yoshida-san asked.

Kristin nodded again, and promptly yawned again. "Right. Sounds good. Goodnight, then."

Yoshida-san said her goodnight also, and each left for sleep. The last thought Kristin had before she fell asleep was that the bed felt too good to be true and wondered if she could find another one like it when she left.

…

"Hello, Hani. How have you been?" Kyouya asked over the phone.

"Hi, Kyou-chan. I've been doing good. How have you been?" Hani replied. Kyouya thought he sounded a little tired. He didn't have his normal chipper tone. And he still called Kyouya that nickname he had grown so used to from high school.

"I've been doing well, other than this recent problem. I hope Mori informed you he was helping me with it. I wouldn't want to cause you any unnecessary problems."

"No, no, Kyou-chan. Takashi told me you had an incident you needed his help with. There's no problem with me. Right now we're between projects anyway, so there's very little for him to do."

"Ah, good. Hani, I'll get to the point, how is Mori doing really?"

There was silence on Hani's end. Kyouya waited for him, knowing Hani was thinking through the entire implications of his question. "Well, I thought he was doing better. But last week, when I was over there, Akira-san and Takashi had a private talk and when he left, Takashi was upset. And he wouldn't tell me what happened. So, I don't really know. He's holding back something."

It was Kyouya's turn to think. If he was just worrying about something, then a distraction may help him. If, however, it was something that required his time and energy, they would just hinder him. He asked Hani's opinion.

Hani replied, "Well, since we don't have a lot to do, we're on half days, but before you called last night, he would stay in the office, just doing busy work. So I'd say a distraction might help him. I take it you were thinking of getting everyone together?"

Kyouya thought even tired, Hani was sharp. Hani caught on to what he was thinking of, and he let Hani know.

"I'll set it up, then, since you've got a lot on your plate. It might be a few weeks before we can do something. I'm sure Takashi will be okay until then." Suddenly, Hani let out a huge yawn, quite audible over the phone.

Kyouya looked at the time and realized how late it was for the other man. "I'm sorry to keep you, Hani. I'll let you get to sleep. We'll talk later."

Hani said sleepily, "Thanks, Kyou-chan. I'll see you later. 'Night, 'night." And they hung up.

Kyouya sat back, thinking. He wondered what the elder Morinozuka could have said to Mori. One possibility was that it had something with Mori's position as heir, but he had been steadily taking over the responsibilities. He would see if he could look into it.

Kyouya sighed. _One project delegated, but another to take its place_, he thought. He turned his head to look at his computer screen and instantly felt how tired he was. He decided that it was a good idea to go to bed. With that thought, he headed on up to bed.


	8. Chapter 8

It was over two weeks after the horrendous events that altered Kristin's life. She was sitting on her balcony, legs curled up under her, looking out at the night time skyline, lost in her thoughts. She had called back home, letting her college, friends, and family know that she was staying in Japan for an undetermined amount of time. Everyone, including her advisor, was upset. She explained as much as she could without worrying them too much or getting into details that would break her confidentiality agreement. Her advisor accepted it with the least amount of arguing. Her friends required a little more persuasion, but still Kristin would only tell them that something happened and she needed to stay for the trial. Her family took the most convincing, mainly because her mother decided to pressure her for all the details Kristin would _not_ tell her. But most importantly, she never mentioned to anyone that she was possibly still in danger. They wouldn't be able to help, and might even be of hindrance if they pressed her about it.

Kristin was slightly surprised at her mother considering Kristin's made major changes in her life before with little notice. Wouldn't she be used to it by now? Plus, they didn't have much contact with each other over the years, anyway, and when they did, they didn't share a lot from their personal lives. They just weren't that close. So why was she so interested in Kristin's life now? Kristin wouldn't ever be able to figure out her mother.

Kristin shifted in her chair to put her back to a breeze that drifted by. Her thoughts then turned to the people she was around here. She had gotten close quickly to her lawyer, close enough to at least call her by her first name… _no, I gotta remember it's _given_ name here_…. So, Suou-san became Haruhi-san, and Haruhi-san called her Kristin-san. Kristin actually liked Haruhi-san. She was friendly and intelligent. They were able to talk about what it felt like to grow up as working class and to suddenly find yourself rich. Haruhi-san had also given Kristin some advice on how to deal with Ootori-san.

To thank her for all the help so far, Kristin had invited her and her husband over for dinner last weekend. That had been an _interesting_ night. Unfortunately, her husband, who Kristin had no problem thinking of as Suou-san, reminded her a bit too much of her ex-husband. He had given out complements like they were candy at Halloween. It had definitely made Kristin uncomfortable, but she never let on about that. She simply smiled, said thank you if they were directed at her, and moved on. But that night bothered her. Kristin had enough proof from previous relationships that people didn't really believe much of what they said or at least that it was a shallow belief. However, she decided that there wasn't any polite way to keep someone from saying such stuff. Her best bet was to just try to avoid situations where she could receive one.

Kristin sighed. Her thoughts turned to the other person she had been spending most of her time with, Yoshida-san. Even though they were living in the same apartment, Yoshida-san let her know that she was more comfortable with Kristin using her surname. Kristin didn't press it. Kristin wasn't looking to make friends while she was in Japan, so it was fine with her. They lived around each other easily, moving around each other without getting in each other's way. When they were in the apartment, they tended to leave each other alone. It wasn't that they avoided each other; it was more that they respected each other's privacy. They'd talk about what was happening for the next day or so, what would happen if Kristin needed to go out, and they'd occasionally talk about what was acceptable for Kristin to get away with (there was no way Kristin would call anyone 'sama', and she'd thought that she'd want to reserve 'kun' and 'chan' for kids).

Thinking of Yoshida-san led Kristin to remember something else. Kristin had noticed something when she had gone downstairs to one of the offices to work on the drug formula and the spread sheet last week. When she was writing them down, she noticed that she was remembering all the sounds for what she was working on. The first memory had led into the second, and so on, to the point where she didn't realize just how much she remembered. But it was all auditory memory.

Kristin decided she wanted to test if she was just remembering a sequence when she had a drug in her system or if it was permanent. She could have tested her memory against the tape recording of that first meeting with Ootori-san, but she didn't want to alert anyone that she may have been permanently affected by the drugs that were given to her yet. She didn't want to sound like a hypochondriac. After some thought, Kristin thought she could test it by learning the Japanese language. Even if there wasn't any change, it would still be useful to learn it. If there was a change, then it could also help to narrow down what parts of her memory were affected.

So last Saturday, Kristin had simply asked Yoshida-san to help her get a program to learn the language. She got it on Sunday. It was now Friday and in five days, she had learned enough to be able to hold a simple conversation with someone. All she had to do was hear the definitions of words or a sentence structure once and she had it memorized. Learning the written language was much harder on her, but she thought it was about the same as a normal adult learning it.

So far, her experiment was proving her fears. Now, Kristin had to talk with someone about this. She couldn't keep it to herself. There was no telling how else her body had been affected.

That was the reason Kristin had been sitting outside for the last hour and a half. She hadn't wanted to face what would come just yet, and had let her thoughts wander. Now that it back in her mind again, she found that she didn't want to put it off again. Kristin got up out of the chair and called Haruhi-san for advice.

She didn't say much over the phone, only that she needed some help regarding something that might have happened during her kidnapping. Haruhi-san was still gathering all the information for her case, and Kristin said it might affect it. This was something she wanted to explain face to face.

When Haruhi-san showed up, they sat in the living room. Kristin started off, in English. "Thank you for coming over. I have something I would really like your help with. For the past couple of weeks, I've noticed something was weird about my memory. I seemed to remember conversations almost exactly. But that could have been my mind playing tricks on me, so I thought I'd test it. I've been learning Japanese using a language program. It's one that has visuals and speech. The reading and writing part I think I'm learning at the normal pace." Here, Kristin paused to take a breath. "But when I hear something, I immediately remember it."

At this point, Kristin switched to Japanese. "I can have simple conversations with Yoshida-san. If I hear the word and its meaning, I remember it and can put it in a sentence. I started learning it less than a week ago." She switched back to English as she was still learning words. "I'm really nervous about this. When I came here for vacation, I had memorized some phrases so I could travel. I still needed a translating device. Now…" Kristin's hands were shaking, she was so upset, so she clenched them between her knees. "You heard me. I mean, could you actually understand what I was saying?" Kristin looked at Haruhi-san, looking for comprehension.

Haruhi-san looked very serious, and also replied in English. "Yes. I can understand you quite easily, almost as if you've had at least months of studying. You said you only started learning the language on Sunday?"

"Yes." Kristin replied.

"And you said you noticed your memory issue had started two weeks ago, so after the kidnapping?" Haruhi-san asked wanting to confirm.

Kristin nodded her head. "I think they might have given me something because before, I actually had the worst time remembering something told to me. I want to get checked, but I don't know who to trust, or who would be the best. I don't know… Could you help me, please?"

Haruhi-san's expression changed to one of compassion. "Of course I'll help you. Please don't think otherwise. Let me think for a moment." Kristin looked down at her hands that were twisting together in her nervousness. "Well, I think it would be best to talk with Kyouya, for a couple of reasons. One, he usually has the best as his employees, and, two, the contract you both signed includes medical assistance. Would this be okay with you?"

Kristin nodded her head. She had also thought about asking him, but she wanted her lawyer's opinion on the matter. She wasn't sure if it might have been better to talk to someone else.

"In that case, let me give him a call to see when he's free."

Kristin let out a breath and said, "Thank you." While Haruhi-san was making her call, Kristin got up and started roaming the apartment, trying to calm down. Now that she had told someone else her fear, and was believed, she was starting to calm down a little. The physical activity was actually helping some.

"Well, Kristin-san, we can go down to talk with him now, if you're ready."

"What, really? Now?" Kristin was surprised. That was pretty quick. She ran her hands across her pants to wipe the sweat off. Then she looked down at what she was wearing. It was one of her silk blouses and a pair of jeans. Well, she didn't consider it a business meeting, so she could dress casual. However, she was going into an office, and jeans just wouldn't cut it. "Let me change pants real quick."

…

Kyouya was surprised to get a call from Haruhi about Ms. Kennedy. He hadn't seen her, or thought much of her specifically, for about two weeks; he had been concentrating on fixing his company. Mori and Tachibana, however, had had contact with Haruhi for the sharing of information.

Everyone had been busy for the last two weeks. His teams were still investigating, and they had at least found the person who had spoken with Ms. Kennedy. It was his personal assistant. Kyouya had been furious when he found out. That man was paid top dollar and had the best benefits for his position. He had been passed through a rigorous initial security check, and all subsequent screenings never caught anything. The man was currently sitting in jail awaiting trial since the judge sided with Kyouya that he was a flight risk. His teams were also investigating the people who had responsible for the security checks. There was either incompetence or bribery happening for no one to have caught the mole.

As it was now, Kyouya had a large workload. He still had yet to replace that assistant; he hadn't had the time to find, or inclination to trust, someone else. So Kyouya was staying up late doing the work meant for two people.

That day, however, he was ready for a break, a change of pace. So he readily agreed to meet with Ms. Kennedy and Haruhi.

…

Kyouya was surprised with what Ms. Kennedy told him. It was certainly out of the ordinary, but he believed her, especially after a quick demonstration. His information on her confirmed that when she left the U.S., she didn't know Japanese. He quickly agreed to find a doctor to check her over.

"I hope you realize that any damages due to the drug would have to be tested for, but most likely, by this time, you would have to wait for any other symptoms to appear. The initial testing only found the two drugs in your system, which have known side effects." Kyouya said. "I'm surprised that you're having issues."

On the other hand, Kyouya was interested in Ms. Kennedy's 'symptom'. He had quickly thought over the implications of it. He might be able to use her ability. "However, if you're otherwise well, I'd be interested in discussing other options for your stay here." This was something he needed her willingness for. He remembered her near instinctual resistance to manipulation. If he could convince her, he could benefit from having her work for him. From Tachibana's report on her, he knew she was smart enough to learn what he wanted. She would especially invaluable for the type of social gatherings where many business deals were formed. He waited for her to ask about his interest. It would be better to have her come to him rather than he chase her.

She seemed wary. "What 'options' do you mean?"

"Well, I can imagine that you currently don't have much to do. I can imagine that it can get pretty boring." He was testing the waters.

"I'm fine enough. I don't imagine that any of my boredom would interest you. What are you after?"

_Oh she was definitely suspicious_. He also noted, with slight amusement, that she had used the same phrasing he did. "Simple enough. I am in need of an assistant. My previous assistant was let go recently." No need to tell her that he was the lead mole in his company. "Because of your background and my needs, it wouldn't be a normal assistant position." He left it there. He wanted to see if she had any interest. If not, he expected she would reject it immediately.

Haruhi spoke up. "Kyouya, couldn't this wait until after we find out if she _is_ well?" She looked annoyed. Kyouya assumed she thought he was being insensitive. He didn't think he was. Ms. Kennedy hadn't felt sick so far, and he felt it was unlikely that something would be found that would require immediate treatment or be life threatening.

Ms. Kennedy, on the other hand, sat for a moment looking at him. He could tell she was thinking it over. "What exactly are you asking for me to do?"

_Still suspicious_. He wondered for a second if this was the right choice. If she wasn't ever going to trust him, then she wouldn't be as useful as he hoped for. "I don't expect you to know the job requirements; you would be trained in them. I understand that you are still learning the written language. However, a good deal of my business is done in English. While you are still learning Japanese, I would have you assist with the English aspect, and once you're proficient in Japanese, all of it."

Now came the tricky part. He couldn't afford to offend her with his real interest in her. "As my assistant, you would also attend business functions similar to one that our paths crossed at. I admit, your new memory would be most useful to me during these functions. You have a unique skill. There are many already skilled in the field who I could hire. However, none would offer me the advantages of your memory." He paused for a moment. He was trying to gage her reaction. "Would you be interested?"

Ms. Kennedy, again, sat silent, thinking it over. Then she leaned forward, staring hard at him. "Why do you think I could handle this job?" She asked bluntly. "And why are you bringing this up now?"

Kyouya was a little surprised at the bluntness. Only those close to him were that candid. "After reviewing your academic information, I am confident in your ability to learn what I'd require from you." He quickly continued before she could find offense with that. "I had my Security Head research your information the night you were rescued. He was quite thorough. As for why I'm offering now, when I find something that would benefit me, I'm quick to act on it. Anything else you'd like to ask me?"

…

Kristin was more than a little surprised at the direction the conversation had turned. She wouldn't admit it to him, but she had been a little bored. And she liked simple secretarial work. She wondered if the day-to-day work would be similar. That she could do. And he seemed to be nicer today than the last time she'd met him. She didn't want to, but she was honest enough to concede that he had probably been under a lot of stress that day, considering the bombshell she'd dropped on him. She wasn't sure about working for him though. She didn't want to end up feeling more like an object than a person. Haruhi-san had warned her that he could look at people like that. Hell, he did just admit that he thought of her as an asset. Haruhi-san had also warned her that he could be a hard taskmaster. She wanted details before she agreed to anything.

"What exactly would I be doing? What does an assistant do?" She asked him.

Ootori-san's nice guy persona slipped a little; his mouth quirked upwards into a tiny smirk. She wondered what he was thinking. "I wouldn't have you do everything that would normally come with the job. I would mostly have you help me with paperwork and keeping up with industry news. The second part would be added as your knowledge of both the language and my company increases. And as I said before, you would accompany me to business functions. Those aren't frequent. What I'd like from you at those functions is to circulate and listen in on conversations. Please, don't think I am asking you to do anything underhanded. Nothing confidential happens at these events, and it is standard practice to collect information and discuss potential projects. Your memory would be of great help."

He stopped and looked at her. Kristin couldn't figure out what he was thinking whenever he did that. She thought about what he'd said, though. It sounded simple enough, but she liked having the amount of freedom she had. Granted, she had to have a bodyguard whenever she went out, but she didn't go out often. She had time to do what she wanted. She liked that. She wasn't sure about taking up a job, especially with him. She had thought about taking one or two online classes later on. It sounded like he wanted her to work full time, and that would hinder her ability to take classes. She also wasn't sure if she wanted to take on a job like that. It sounded like she could have more attention on her than she'd be comfortable with. On the other hand, the office part sounded interesting. She needed to think about it.

"Ootori-san, I admit I'm interested. Yet, I'd like to think it over, and I'd like to speak with a doctor first to make sure my health is in order." Kristin wondered if that would offend him. She wondered how far she could push him to get what she wanted. She had to think about what she did want and what she could do without. And she wanted to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with her before she had to think about something as stressful as starting a new job, especially that job.

Ootori-san's slight smirk didn't go away, but he replied evenly. "That's reasonable enough. Would next Wednesday be okay?"

Kristin wasn't sure if she could get a doctor's appointment before then. Did he know something she didn't?

He seemed to have caught the reason for her hesitation and said, "I can have an appointment for you next Monday with one of my top doctors. They'll give you a call with a time."

Kristin wasn't sure about having him doing that for her, but she could sort of understand why he'd do that. It would give him an answer quickly. She supposed that he thought it was a given that she'd take the job. She probably would, but she wanted to make sure she wasn't going to be walked over.

"Kyouya, please remember the contract. Any effort on your part that you wish to charge her for, you must advise her of ahead of time so she can decline." Haruhi-san put in. Kristin still wasn't sure why Haruhi-san had so strongly advised on that clause, but she knew Ootori-san much better than Kristin did.

Ootori-san chuckled lightly and smiled at Haruhi-san. "Ah, Haruhi. I see you haven't forgotten about our experiences from high school."

Haruhi-san smiled at him, a full smile, like they were sharing a joke. "Never," she replied.

Ootori-san turned back to Kristin, still smiling, but it was more of a polite smile now. "Actually, I wasn't thinking of charging you for my personal attention on the matter, Ms. Kennedy. I do remember our agreement," that said with a sideways glance to Haruhi-san, "and it is in my interest not to do so. So, Wednesday?" he repeated.

If he could get her an appointment that quickly, and if the doctor could do some testing that quickly, then she'd have several days to think his offer over. And Kristin had noticed that he _was_ offering and not trying to force her. She appreciated that courtesy. So… "Yes, Wednesday should be fine, Ootori-san."

"Good. I'll have my secretary call you by this evening with a time. Anything else?" Ootori-san asked.

Kristin didn't have anything else to talk about. She shook her head and looked at Haruhi-san, who also shook her head.

Ootori-san stood up. The women followed suit. "In that case, ladies, I hope you have a good day." He gave them both a short bow.

Following Haruhi-san's lead, Kristin returned a bow awkwardly, and they left. Kristin still wasn't comfortable with bowing instead of shaking hands, but if she was going to actually work here, she needed to get used to them.

…

Kristin had just returned from the hospital. She had gone to see the doctor Ootori-san recommended yesterday and that day and today had been filled with tests. The doctor's name was Ikeda, and he was an older gentleman who was very sweet. Yesterday when she'd met him, they'd had a long discussion about her symptoms, and history. Then, he'd taken quite a bit of blood and asked for other samples from her. Today, he had scheduled both a CAT scan and an MRI at the hospital. Then he told her what results he'd gotten back from yesterday. So far, everything was normal. It seemed that she didn't have any organ damage. Which was great news for Kristin. He told her that even though he was doing the CAT scan and MRI, he didn't expect to see anything. Since she had the appointment tomorrow to see Ootori-san at two thirty, she was going in to do some mental faculty testing at eight in the morning. Dr. Ikeda was being very thorough. He wanted to make sure that other than her new memory ability, she was healthy.

So now, Kristin was back to sitting on the balcony, now with a cup of lemon tea in her hand. She was thinking about her decision on Ootori-san's job offer. Last night she had finally decided that she would do it, but she wanted to add in a couple of stipulations. She wanted to have one afternoon a week free, and in exchange, she'd offer to work late one night. She also wanted to have a set number of hours she'd work in a week that couldn't be altered unless she offered to work overtime. She wasn't sure how that'd work with business functions or end of projects. She suspected Ootori-san wouldn't agree to that one. Now that she was thinking about it more, that request seemed unreasonable. But she also didn't want to be pushed through a grinder, just to work, work, work. Maybe if she asked for it but that for those situations, it could be waived? She'd ask about it.

For this meeting, it was just going to be her and him. Haruhi-san had reminded her to be specific and limited in her requests and put in the same clause about being able to refuse services and/or products. She had looked up common salaries on the internet. She didn't have any illusions about getting top dollar for the job. She had no experience or training, and the job requirements were slightly different. Plus, she wasn't really doing it for the pay. She was doing it because she was interested in the job, itself, and she was slightly bored sitting around all the time. She'd thought about how the rest of her time would be here in Japan if she was just sitting around all day, practically imprisoned. She would go nuts.

Kristin looked out at the Tokyo skyline. The sun was setting. It was beautiful. It reminded her that she also needed to ask about her current contract and living situation with him. Hopefully, it wouldn't change. She had grown to love the apartment.

She went to take a sip of her tea and realized it was gone. She looked down at her cup for a minute; then decided that it was a hint for her to get up and go do some more studying before she needed to turn in for the night.

…

Kristin was feeling happy as she ate a late lunch. Dr. Ikeda had given her a clean bill of health, only saying that if she has any new symptoms to not hesitate to call him. That was a load off her back. Now, she hopefully had a new job to look forward to.

After eating, she had almost an hour before her meeting with Ootori-san. Again, she went back to studying, or at least memorizing. Even if she was functionally illiterate in Japanese, she wanted to at least be able to talk with everyone.

When it was about fifteen minutes before her appointment, she started putting away everything. She arrived at his office a few minutes early. She mentally reviewed everything she wanted to talk about with Ootori-san. Kristin was nervous, but she thought that anyone would be before a job interview. She quickly stood up as he walked up to her. After greeting each other, he led her to his office, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I hope you've had enough time to think over my offer." Ootori-san stated.

"Yes, I have, but there are a few things I'd like to talk about." Kristin replied.

…

Kyouya was slightly surprised at that. He wasn't expecting to have more to discuss with her. What was with her and negotiating?

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

Ms. Kennedy seemed tense. "Well, I guess the first would be - how would me working for you affect our previous contract?"

Well, that was a pretty intelligent question, he thought. One he had thought about also. "It wouldn't. You would still have a guard when you leave the building, you would still live upstairs, and the company would still supply medical services."

When he said that, she seemed to relax just a little. He hoped she wouldn't ask for all her medical expenses to be paid. He would keep to the original agreement of paying half her expenses, but not a yen more. Besides, she had her own private insurance that was keeping the bills down. He knew that from her first hospital stay. But he didn't honestly think she would. So far, she had been fair in everything asked for.

"Ah, good. Well next, I was also wondering how many hours a week I would be working. And there's something odd I'd like to request. I'd like to get one afternoon a week off. In exchange, I'd be willing to work late one night to make up for that." Ms. Kennedy said abruptly.

Kyouya was taken aback by that. He sat back in his chair, studying the woman in front of him. She kept biting her lip. Suddenly, she straightened up and put a more professional expression on her face when she noticed he was studying her. It seemed she was trying to hide her nervousness. Well, it was good to know that she wasn't fearless of him. He had wondered about that. That also meant that he could influence her. That was good for him. He didn't need an employee who thought she could get away with what she wanted just because she had a skill he wanted. He wouldn't put up with someone like that. Although, up to now, she never displayed such a personality flaw and nothing he had found showed it. So far, she seemed consistent. And seemed to be someone he could work with. Plus, she had offered a semi-reasonable exchange for her request. She still had her lawsuit and any further medical issues to keep in mind. Those could mostly be scheduled for that half day, thus reducing lost working time. He wondered if she had thought of that, if that was the main reason for her request. In any case, he decided he'd go along with it.

"You'd be working around forty hours a week, sometimes more depending on functions. You'd be paid a salary, not hourly. And I'll allow your odd schedule. For your late day, I usually have more work on Mondays due to the weekend reports as well as that day's. Did you have a specific day in mind for your afternoon off?"

Ms. Kennedy shook her head. "I had thought about it, but I really just wanted an afternoon free for anything that comes up."

_So she had thought of it_. Kyouya replied, "In that case, why don't we settle for Wednesday, but with the option of moving it provided I receive ample notice."

Ms. Kennedy nodded her head. "That sounds okay."

"Good. I'll have Yamada fill out an employment contract with your requests and she will call you when it's ready for you to sign. You'll start work on Friday at eight with Yamada for a three week trial. She will start training you." He stood up and held out his hand for her to shake. That was another thing she needed to learn, corporate manners, both in the office and socially. However, that will wait until after he saw how well she worked.

Ms. Kennedy also stood and shook his hand. Then she smiled at him. "I hope this works out. Thank you." And then she left.

Kyouya sat back down and thought about what he had done. He had files on her but that wouldn't tell him how well they'd work together, or how well she'd do at her real job. He also hoped this worked out.


End file.
